They Call me Ebony: Black Moon
by Dndchk
Summary: It's the Marauders' third year, and things aren't looking so good. Sinister threats from Sirius' parents and Remus' attempt at digging into his own past are just two of the problems on their minds. Animagi, dealing with new classes, and awful Hogsmeade visits alone would be enough to ruin a normal kid's year. But for James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Liz? It'll take a LOT more...
1. Family Matters

**A/N:Hey guys, I'm baaaaaack! *ducks flying, sharp, pointy objects* So, do you want the exciting excuse or the actual excuse?**

**Okay, I was sucked into the world of Hogwarts via my HP books, and ended up attending Hogwarts with Harry, Ron and Hermione and basically living through all the books and okay I'll stop right now this is just getting stupid.**

**So, yeah. I was lazy, I was uninspired, and I was dragged out to South Dakota for a family reunion to celebrate my mom's parents' 50th anniversary, and we literally got back an hour ago at the time of typing this up. YOU'RE WELCOME.**

**But WOW! 252 reviews for War Upon Us? That's outstanding! I can't say enough how much that means to me. Really. You are all the best. Have some cookies! Or whatever you like, just have some kind of reward. This is AWESOME!**

**To guest reviewer Swift- I'm sorry I didn't get this out until now. Anyway, if all goes well, my original story will be called Pureblades: Unintended, and it'll hopefully be published by the time I graduate college. *facedesk* Really, I have no idea when(or even if) it'll ever get out there, but I won't give up! Anywho, thanks for the review! It made me smile!**

**Okay, to everyone else (including Swift)- Here's part three! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, places, spells, ext.**

**Datclaimer: This is a horrible pun and I should stop now.**

**Claimer: (Last one, I promise!) I only own the plot and the OCs.**

* * *

_The screams that echoed through Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, were almost loud enough to be heard by the muggles outside._

_"I'm gonna get you!" Sirius yelled, chasing after Regulus. The boys tore through the house in a wild chase, Regulus fleet-footed as a deer despite his chubby toddler legs. He knocked over the hideous troll leg umbrella stand in an effort to block Sirius' path, but Sirius leapt over it and kept running._

_As he raced down the stairs, Regulus' foot caught on the edge of a step and he down, his shrieks of laughter suddenly terrified._

_"Keep it down!" their mother screeched, somehow making herself heard over Regulus' wails._

_"Reg!" Sirius jumped down the stairs three at a time. The little boy was clutching his knee and howling, tears streaming down his face. Sirius gently pried Regulus' hands away from his knee to reveal a scraped and bleeding mess._

_He winced, but he scooped up his brother and headed to the kitchen downstairs. Sirius set Regulus by the sink and turned the tap, scooping some water into his hands and letting it trickle over the injury._

_It really wasn't that bad, just a shallow scrape, but from the way Regulus was crying, you might have thought his leg was being sawed off. Sirius finished rinsing the blood away and pressed a clean rag onto Regulus' knee._

_"See? It's all better," Sirius said, grinning when Regulus hiccuped._

_"Thanks." Regulus wiped his runny nose and gave his older brother a large smile._

Sirius looked up at the front door of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. He didn't know why he'd been expecting it to look any different; it was just as dingy and uninviting as ever. Maybe even more.

Orion Black didn't even wait for his son. He just strode past Sirius and let himself into the house, not even bothering to leave the door open.

"Good to see you too," Sirius muttered. He grabbed his trunk and began lugging it up the stairs.

Once inside, he shut the door and called, "Kreacher!"

There was a loud _crack_, and an ugly, hunched house-elf wearing nothing but a rag loincloth appeared next to him. Kreacher eyed him with obvious distaste.

"Young Master Sirius called?" Kreacher croaked. Under his breath, he muttered, "Nasty, ungrateful brat he is."

"Just shut up and take this to my room, will you?" Sirius snapped, kicking his trunk. Kreacher gave him a baleful look, but he took hold of the trunk's handle and disappeared with another _crack_.

"Home sweet home," Sirius sighed as he began climbing the stairs. He certainly hadn't missed this place.

he stopped when he reached the top of the stairs. Standing halfway down the hall, his arms crossed and his foot tapping impatiently, was Regulus.

Sirius frowned. He wasn't in the mood to get into an argument right after he got back. Unfortunately for him, Regulus was standing right in the middle of the hall. He'd have to go past him if he wanted to get to his room.

"'Scuse me," Sirius muttered as he tried to step around his brother. Regulus moved in front of him.

"Not so fast," Regulus said, his voice sounding too cold to belong to a barely- eleven year old.

Sirius closed his eyes, telling himself not to lose his temper, before looking at Regulus. "What?"

"As you know, next year, I shall be going to Hogwarts as well," Regulus began. His tone was almost devoid of emotion. It was rather unnerving.

"Then why are you wasting my time?" Sirius demanded. "Move I want to go to my room."

Regulus' expression hardened. "I'm not finished yet," he said. "If you hadn't interrupted me- but that's not the point. The point is, you might want to start watching your step when we're there."

Sirius snorted. "Are you really trying to threaten me?"

"I'm only telling you what I think you should know," Regulus said. His voice was neutral, but when he looked Sirius in the eye, Sirius could have sworn he saw a hint of... fear?

"What are you-?"

Regulus shushed him, looked over his shoulder, then leaned in. "Look, mother and father told me that they're expecting me to keep an eye on you this year," he whispered. "They're going to be double-checking with Cissy to make sure I'm not hiding anything, so I thought I should let you know..."

"But why should I bother doing anything different this year?" Sirius asked.

Regulus bit his lip, hesitating. "I-"

"C'mon, spit it out!"

Regulus took a deep breath. "Look, mother and father think we're still really close, so they think you'll be more likely to listen to me if I tell you to stop hanging out with your blood-traitor and mudblood friends."

Sirius' face contorted with anger, but Regulus quickly held up his hands and backed away. "Not my words, theirs," he said. Sirius was still irritated, but he bit back his scathing retort.

Regulus grimaced and ran a hand through his hair. "Sirius, just because we have differing opinions, it doesn't mean I don't still care about you," he said. "I don't know what they're going to tell you, but... watch out for our parents."

Regulus turned and slipped through the door behind him, leaving Sirius standing in the hall with a growing feeling of dread.

* * *

Remus let out a sigh of relief as he lay back on his bed. Home sweet home. Or, as sweet as it could get with his father's cold eyes seeming to watch him, waiting to call him out for a minor mistake.

Remus sighed again, but this time, it was one of resignation. The only reason his father hated him was because of a small, but stupid, mistake. Eight years ago, they'd been a proper family. Eight years ago, Remus had been a normal child. Eight years ago, his father still loved him.

_Remus lay on the floor of the living room, his small fingers turning the pages of a massive book he'd borrowed from his mum. He glanced up at the clock. It was nearing the time when his dad would come home from work, kiss his mum, and scoop Remus up off the floor and take him outside to play._

_Not a minute later, Remus heard his father's __footsteps on the front porch, and then his dad was home- but there was something different, something off. Instead of the tired-but-happy expression he usually wore, his mouth was tight, and there was a crease between his eyebrows._

_"Hi, honey," Mrs. Lupin said, setting down her _Healer's Handbook_ and smiling up at her husband. When she saw his face, her smile faltered. "John? Is something wrong?"_

_Mr. Lupin returned her kiss, but he seemed distracted. He glanced at Remus, who had half- risen from the floor in anticipation. "i'll be with you in a moment, son," he said. Remus sighed, but his attention was quickly refocused on his book as his parents went into their room to talk. He could hear them murmuring, but he wasn't concerned. They were probably just talking about boring grown-up stuff._

_Remus was startled when a fluffy orange and white striped cat pounced on his back, leapt over his head and landed on the book, pawing at the pages and mewing. "Not now, Felix! Go chase some mice or something," Remus said, half amused, half annoyed. He tried to shove the cat away, but Felix just curled up against him, purring contentedly._

_Remus scratched the cat behind the ears as he kept reading._

_After a while, though, he began to wonder what could possibly be keeping his parents so long, and when he checked the time, he was surprised to find that over an hour had passed. Remus gently pushed Felix off of him and made for the bedroom door, but as he was raising his fist to knock, it opened._

_"Oh, Remus! We were just coming to get you," his dad said, in an unusually cheery voice. "Your mum and I were just thinking- how would you like to go away for a few days? Maybe to the sea?"_

_Remus' eyes widened, but something was nagging at him. "When did you decide that?" he asked._

_"Just now." Mrs. Lupin picked him up, even though he was starting to get a bit big to be held. "Just think about it- a whole week, just us, the ocean, and the wide- open sky!"_

_Maybe he was just being silly. "Can Felix come, too?" he asked._

_"Of course he can," Mr. Lupin said. He took Remus from his mother and tossed him once in the air before setting him down. "Now, run along and pack a bag." He gave Remus a small nudge, but Remus didn't move._

_"Now? Like, right now?" he asked. "When are we leaving?"_

_"As soon as we're all ready. Now scoot." Mrs. Lupin ruffled his hair and Remus dashed off, excited about the impromptu vacation._

That was the last time they'd been together as a real family. After Remus had been bitten, his mum dropped out of Healer training to look after him, and his father had started working overtime, both to try to make up the expenses of hospital bills and cure attempts, and to avoid his son as much as possible. Younger Remus had accepted his mum's excuse of 'daddy's working' whenever he asked why his dad never seemed to be home anymore, but as he got older, Remus realized it wasn't just his grandparents and old friends who hated and/or feared him. His own father was ashamed of having a werewolf for a son.

Remus was startled out of his reverie when his mum knocked on the doorframe

"Would you like something to eat?"

He shrugged. "I can wait until dinner-" he cut himself off when she gave him a look. "What did you make?"

"Just some of those sweet buns I know you like," she said, laughing as Remus jumped up and headed to the kitchen.

As Remus tore into the sweet buns, Mrs. Lupin interrogated him about everything he hadn't written in his letters. At one point, she patted him on the back, but quickly withdrew her hand when he flinched.

"Sorry, sweetie," she said, carefully placing a hand over the bandages. "That reminds me, I should probably take a look at that."

Remus only stopped eating long enough to pull his shirt over his head, being careful not to agitate the wound. It had been healing for over two weeks, but the scab covering it cracked and oozed if it moved too much.

Mrs. Lupin inspected it for several minutes, but she must have decided it was healed enough, as she refrained from dressing it with a new bandage. Either that, or her attention had been diverted by-

_Please don't let it be the ribs, please don't let it be the ribs, please don't-_

"Remus?" Mrs. Lupin gently placed a finger on the knotted pink scar that cut across his ribcage.

Remus shrugged her off and reached for his shirt. "It's nothing, mum. It healed back in February. besides, it's not like I haven't had worse."

She flinched at his harsh tone. Remus immediately felt guilty, but he was tired of having to deal with his stupid lycanthropy, tired of his mother's constant worrying over him, tired of his father's attitude, tired of everything that he could have prevented.

If only he'd heeded their words. "Don't go into the woods," his father had said.

_But why shouldn't he go into the woods anymore? He'd spent loads of time out there, both alone and with his friend, Benjamin. He could probably find his way around blindfolded, and no dangerous animals lived in that part of the country, so what was the problem?_

_Several times, though, Remus could have sworn he felt a looming presence watching him, but never revealing itself. Whenever he sensed it, he would dash back to the house, but once the initial fright passed, he'd be back outside._

_Remus did notice, several times, that his parents seemed to become especially anxious on some days, but such days were few and far between, so he didn't think much of it. And, a few months after their sudden holiday, they were much more relaxed. Remus was allowed back outside again, though he was under strict orders to be back an hour before nightfall._

Remus didn't remember much of his early childhood. To him, his life was broken into two parts: the time before he was bitten, and the time after. He had a few memories of happiness, of playing games with his parents, of being hugged by his mum _and_ dad, but that's all they were: memories.

He decided to get a head start on his summer work to avoid having to face him mum's worried looks, so he went back to his room and retrieved some books rom his trunk.

Two hours later, he was blowing on his completed potions essay to dry it when he heard the front door open. Mr. Lupin was home.

Remus quickly bent over his parchment, pretending to work in the hope that it would dissuade his father from disturbing him. He heard the footsteps pause just outside the room, but he kept his head down, feigning concentration. After a while, he heard his father move further into the house.

Remus set down his quill and flexed his fingers, which were still stiff from the rough treatment he'd given them during the last full moon. A little belatedly, he realized his mum had been calling that dinner was ready.

* * *

"Come in."

Sirius begrudgingly pushed open the door to his father's study, resigning himself to a long,. torturous, one-sided conversation.

Without even looking up from his papers, Orion Black motioned to the chair in front of his desk. "Sit."

Sirius sat, waiting for the inevitable lecture. He couldn't help but ask, "Where's mother?" Not because he was concerned about her- never in a million years- he just wanted to know how long he'd be free of her insanity.

"She's feeling unwell, or else she'd be here, too. Now." Orion finally set down his quill and pushed his papers aside. "Regulus will be going to Hogwarts with you next year."

Sirius was tempted to make a smart remark, but, not wanting to get punished so soon after getting back, he stayed silent. He contented himself with a brief nod.

"You will do nothing to interfere with his studies."

Sirius nodded again. _Like I would ever want anything to do with those slimy snakes,_he thought.

"You will not cause any trouble this year."

Sirius crossed his fingers under the desk and nodded.

"After all, we don't need the family name to be tarnished by any more displays of your shameful behaviour."

Sirius crossed the fingers of his other hand.

"And one more thing. We've been lenient about your choice of... _friends_... for your first two years, but we expect you to start acquainting yourself with those who are more worthy of being associated with the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."

"Sorry, didn't quite catch that," Sirius said slowly. Regulus hadn't been lying, then.

"You need to distance yourself from your housemates. Your mother and I have discussed it, and we have agreed that your transgression of being Sorted into gryffindor will be overlooked if you decide where your loyalties truly lie."

Sirius had been expecting this, but he still felt a surge of anger. "You're telling me to ditch my friends and join a bunch of pureblood fanatics?" he snapped. "Why the hell do you think I would ever do that?"

Orion Black's eyes were cold and calculating as he answered. "Because, if you do not sever ties with them, we will find them. And we will hurt them. Starting with the mudblood brat, Auberey, and ending with the Potters if we must."

Sirius had gone still, hardly daring to breathe.

"We would hate to have to spill pure blood, but we have no such qualms about the mudblood and her family or the half-blood Lupin."

Sirius managed to find his voice. "Liz isn't a mudblood," he spat. "Her mum is a witch-"

"A mudblood witch. The brat and her brother are no better." Orion stared hard at Sirius. "We know where to find them. Don't think even the Potters are safe. They're of pure blood, but their tolerance of inferiors has marked them as blood traitors. One wrong move on your part, _son_, and your friends die."

* * *

**A/N: Holy. Crap. That was totally unexpected. I was just scribbling away in mah notebook, writing mah story, and then Regulus just started talking and Sirius kind of reacted, then next thing I knew... woah. I guess I'll have to wait and see where the story goes, huh? **

**That's not to say I have no plan at all for this one. *evil grin* I've been plotting this one for even longer than I plotted for War Upon Us. I have to say, I really like how this is going so far.**

**Updates will hopefully be every Sunday. And if I get complacent, the spam my inbox with flames or something, because I am REALLY bad about sticking to a ****schedule. Speaking of schedules, I got my 11th grade schedule today. Journalism AND AP English Composition, one right after the other? BOO-yah! *happy dance***

**In other news, the Boyfriend is now just the Friend. We've been in regular contact, and nothing much has changed between us... except we're no longer official. :'( That's another reason I've been slacking. I didn't go and pull a Bella- I'd never sink that low- but I've been pretty upset. I just didn't want to whine about it in the top author's note and bore you all. Eh, I shouldn't even be boring you all now. But...I think it's gonna work out. We text almost daily, and the conversations aren't awkward or anything. Call me foolish, but I've got high hopes for the future.**

**ANYWAY! Enough of my wangst. Chapter two will be featuring James, Liz, and Peter- not sure if Sirius and Remus (less than three) will show up, I haven't gotten that far. But yeah! The writing's coming along great, and I hope you guys remember to review, favorite, and just generally be totally awesome!**

**Until next time,**

**-Dndchk**


	2. A New Development

**A/N: So... uh... YAY for procrastination! yeah, I literally finished this about thirty minutes ago. My only excuse is that I was stuck for ideas once I got about halfway through... Ugh.**

**And WOW! WOWEE! 17 reviews! That breaks the record for the last fanfic's first chapter, which was 15! YAY NUMBERS!**

**But seriously (Siriusly- ha, u c wut i did ****thar?), you guys are all awesome! Thank you so much, and remember, I reply to ALL my reviewers!**

**But anyway, here's the way-too delayed thingy chapter thingy.**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter blah blah J.K. Rowling blah blah. ;)**

* * *

One morning about a week into the summer, the sun rose to find James waiting for the post owl. With his parents worried about him knowing of the increasing brutality of the Death Eater attacks, he'd been getting up early so he could intercept his own issue. When the holidays had started, he'd requested permission to see the paper after his parents had finished it, but he was always denied. So, James had sent in a subscription form, using his own pocket money to pay for it.

This morning, the owl was not carrying welcome news. It fluttered through the open window and dropped the _Daily Prophet_ on James' bed, then glared at him as it waited for its payment. It was going to have to wait for a little bit.

As James unrolled the paper, he dropped it and nearly choked when he saw the headline: **NEW ANTI-WEREWOLF LEGISLATION FINALLY PASSED**.

James was still for a moment, trying to tell himself he'd misread it, but his thoughts were rudely interrupted when the owl screeched at him.

Numbly, he dropped several Knuts into the owl's leg pouch, then picked up the paper and began to read.

_In an almost unanimous vote, the Wizengamot has finally decided to pass the bill that will restrict werewolves' rights. This bill has made it mandatory for all werewolves to register at the Ministry of Magic, and now urges that employers check the Werewolf Registry before hiring. Failure to register will result in the werewolf being turned over to the Department for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The bill was introduced by Department of Magical Law Enforcement Senior Supervisor Dolores Umbridge, who has been a staunch advocate of half-breed regulation since 1964.  
__"I am delighted that the bill has finally passed," Umbridge said in an interview last night. "Werewolves are a danger to our society. Hopefully, with the new laws in place, we can reduce the threat they pose to the magical community, and we have taken a step in the right direction to lead to eliminating them."  
The decision, which was almost unanimous, was made with the influence of the riser of werewolf attacks over the past five months. Despite the increasing number of bitten people- consisting mostly of children between the ages of four and ten- small, but vocal, groups of protestors have made themselves heard, insisting that even dangerous creatures deserve the same rights as wizards. The Werewolf Support (continued on page A7)_

James threw the paper down and pounded the bed. He was trembling with a fury that surpassed any hatred he had ever experienced. The emotions boiling inside him were almost indescribable. He took several deep breaths, trying to regain his temper, but if anything, he was just becoming angrier.

Behind him, there was a huge crash, followed by the tinkling of glass. He'd managed to shatter the glass in the French doors that led to the terrace. James stared blankly at the mess, still seething.

"James?"

James whirled, certain he was going to be punished, but his father simply repaired the mess and turned to James. "What happened? Is everything okay?"

James' fists clenched. "No. No, it's not! That- they-!" He stood and delivered a vicious kick to the newspaper, which had slid onto the floor. The pages scattered everywhere, many with large rips down the middle.

He sank to his knees as his dad knelt and began sifting through the sheets. Mr. Potter paused when he found the front page.

"I'm sorry, son," he said softly. "I wish there was something I could do."

"What's going on?" Mrs. Potter appeared in the doorway. She looked around, taking in the jumbled newspaper, her concerned husband, and her outraged son.

"Remus didn't deserve this!" James yelled. "Any of this!"

"James Charlus Potter, we do _not_ yell in this house," Mrs. Potter said firmly.

James looked at his feet and mumbled, "Sorry, mum." He raised his eyes to meet his parents' concerned looked, and he swallowed. "I just..." He made a helpless gesture.

Mrs. Potter pulled him into a hug. "You've been a wonderful friend to Remus, and I don't think anybody could do more than that."

James allowed her to hold him for a little while, but then he gently pushed her arms off and said, "I- I kind of want to be alone for a bit. Would you mind?"

Mr. Potter patted James' shoulder as the adults left. As soon as they were gone, James quietly shut the door and locked it.

His mother's words had reminded him that there _was_ something more that he could do. He'd made a promise to Remus, they all had. It just seemed like they now had another incentive to master the transformation.

The loose floorboard under the bed was quickly pried up, and James retrieved the Animagus book.

Skimming through the pages, James realized that he wouldn't be able to move forward with the process until after he figured out what his animal form was. He let out a growl, but resigned himself to the fact that it was time to do some more Patronus work.

But what memory was so happy that he could use it to help him conjure a corporeal Patronus? He had lots of great memories, but were any of them powerful enough? Maybe... James frowned as he thought. There was the day he got his Hogwarts letter... that was at least a good place to start.

"_Expecto Patronum_," he whispered. As expected, he was able to produce a large silvery cloud of vapor, but nothing more. James tried to focus harder, but the effort drained him, and he was forced to give it up. He would have to pick a different memory.

He gave himself a few minutes before attempting it again. And again. Try as he might, though, he never seemed to do more than conjure a bunch of mist. James sighed and cracked his knuckles, breathing heavily. _Calm down and pick a better memory. You have to do this for Remus._

James thought longer this time, trying to think of the perfect memory to focus on. His thoughts strayed to Lily, to the day he and the others had frozen the Great Hall at her request. Lily had looked so happy, sliding around on the ice, and she has smiling because of something he'd done! Well, he and his friends, but still. James thought about how she had laughed as she raced across the slick floor, her red hair fanning out behind her.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" James cried.

He almost forgot to breathe as an enormous silvery creature sprang forth and galloped across the room. It turned and headed back to him, stopping a few feet away.

The stag nudged him with its antlered head and disappeared.

James was frozen for a full minute before he lunged for his trunk, digging through it before managing to extract the two-way mirror.

"Sirius," he said. The mirror shimmered before showing James his friend.

"Hey, James," Sirius said, his tone light. "What's up?"

"I'm a stag!" James yelled, unable to contain his excitement. "Sirius, I'm gonna be a stag!"

"Brilliant!" Sirius grinned at him, but then he looked quickly over his shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry I can't talk, but dear old mum is calling. I have to go."

"Bye," James said, but Sirius was already gone. Undeterred, James hurried downstairs, where he found his mum making breakfast. "Mum, can Liz and Peter come over? Like, right now?"

Mrs. Potter looked a little startled at his sudden request, but she nodded. James went over to the fireplace, grabbed a pinch of Floo Powder, and stuck his head in the flames.

* * *

Liz stumbled as she spun out of the fireplace. She brushed the soot from her shirt and grinned at James when he steadied her.

"So, what was so important that Pete and I had to come over immediately?" she asked.

James glanced around and grimaced, which Liz took as a sign to stay silent. "I can't wait to hang out," James said, a bit louder than usual.

The fireplace glowed as green flames erupted, and a second later, Peter was stepping into James' kitchen.

"Hi!" he began, but James had already grabbed him and Liz and was dragging them upstairs.

"Have you guys seen the news yet?" he asked urgently once the door to his room was shut tightly and locked. When they both shook their heads, he shoved the front page under their noses. "I just had to show you this."

Liz frowned, trying to think of what could possibly be more important that it required immediate attention from just her and Peter. Then again, it was James. For all she knew, he wanted to show off some new Quidditch move. But, as she read the article, her fists clenched and she felt an overwhelming urge to find this Umbridge lady and punch her in the face.

"How could anyone agree to this?" she cried, outraged. "And Remus- I just-!"

Peter was shaking his head, mouth slightly open. "And we can't do anything about it," he whispered.

"Actually, we can. Just watch," James said, drawing his wand. "_Expecto Patronum!_"

Liz and Peter gasped at the silver stag. Liz watched it enviously, wishing she could do that herself. But she knew what that meant. They were one step closer to at least making Remus' transformations more bearable.

"So, I know what my animal is," James said proudly. "But, since you guys were having such a rough tie of it, I thought, maybe, I could help."

Liz and Peter exchanged grins. "That would be great," Peter said. "Where do we start?"

"Just try to concentrate," James said. "Just think back to something- anything- that makes you happy, even today."

Liz was more than a little disappointed. "James, I've made a list- a whole list!- of happy memories, and not one of them has worked! I'm rubbish at Charms, I'll never get it."

james tapped his cheek, thinking.

Liz waited impatiently, knowing he couldn't just pull a solution out of thin air. Peter, meanwhile, had scrunched his face up in concentration.

"Maybe..." James said slowly, "Maybe, instead of a regular happy memory, you should think of somebody you like."

"But Sirius said his memory was when Remus was able to stay at Hogwarts," Liz protested.

"Just the second time. We don't know anything about the first," James pointed out. He shrugged. "Besides, it worked for me when I thought of Lily," he said, his cheeks reddening slightly.

Liz sighed and rubbed her temples. "Fine. I'll try." She pulled out her wand and tapped her leg as she thought.

Peter glanced at james. "D'you... do you think if I thought about Melissa...?" he grinned shyly.

James smiled broadly and gave Peter a hearty slap on the back. "I think that'll work great, Pete."

Liz swallowed when James looked expectantly at her. "Ah..."

"Quit stalling, Liz! Just try it!" James snapped.

"I'm thinking," Liz snapped back. "Gimme a minute."

james rolled his eyes and turned back to Peter. "Okay- so, do you have any good memories about Melissa? One that still makes you feel elated, even today?"

Liz was distracted from her thoughts. "Who uses 'elated' in casual conversation?"

"I thought you were supposed to be focusing?" James asked, raising his eyebrows at her. Liz stuck her tongue out at him. James rolled his eyes and continued. "Besides, I wouldn't say that practicing a spell that will allow us to progress to breaking the law counts as 'casual conversation'."

"Touche." Liz was going to say more, but James semi-playfully glared at her and motioned for her to get back to work.

Liz gnawed on the inside of her cheek as she considered James' words. _Think about someone you like..._

"Am I really gonna have to do this?" she muttered aloud.

"Yes," answered James and Peter.

Liz gave them the stink-eye. "I wasn't talking to you."

They ignored her and went back to work on finding Peter a memory.

Liz sighed again as she begrudgingly realized what she was going to have to do.

So, what memories of Remus did she have that were powerful enough to at least get her started on producing a Patronus? She thought back, her cheeks reddening as she recalled Ted and Andromeda's wedding, and how she and Remus had spent a song dancing awkwardly near their table so he wouldn't trip over his dress robes. How they had held hands, _really_ held hands, for the first time...

"_Expecto Patronum,_" she whispered, concentrating as hard as she could on that memory.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, after spluttering for a bit, a thin stream of mist began to form.

"YES!" Liz yelled, startling the boys. "I DID IT!"

"I knew you could do it," James said smugly. "But good job, Eb."

As the mist dissipated, Liz suddenly felt rather drained. "Well, I don't think I can do that again," she said, panting. "At least, not just yet. I'll watch you guys, okay?"

* * *

"Okay, Peter," James said, "If Liz can do it, you can do it. You're not leaving here until you produce a real Patronus."

Peter nodded, gripping his wand determinedly. He already knew what memory he was going to use: Melissa's smile when she saw the necklace he'd made for her.

Remembering it brought an equally bright smile to his own face. He raised his wand-

"So, are you thinking of a memory?" James asked, startling Peter and breaking his concentration.

"James!" he yelled, surprising everyone, including himself. "I _had_ one, and you startled me!"

"Well, sorry," James said snippily. Peter sighed and closed his eyes, trying to ignore him.

_Okay, just focus on Melissa..._

"_Expecto Patronum._" Lots of silver vapor, but no definite shape.

"You-"

"If you tell me 'you can do it' one more time, I'm gonna take your wand and-"

"Never mind,' James said quickly. "Carry on."

Maybe that memory wasn't enough. Maybe... maybe the day he'd worked up the nerve to ask her out?

Peter could feel his face warming up, which he took as a good sign. But, instead of rushing it, he was determined to take his time in order to get it perfect. James might have been annoying, but Peter knew he was right. He just needed more confidence.

_Deep breaths._

After an age, Peter finally raised his wand again. "_Expecto Patronum!_"

Peter's mouth dropped open, momentarily forgetting to breathe.

As the Patronus streaked across the room, the Marauders squinted, trying to see the silver animal. Whatever it was, it was small.

"Can you get it to come back?" Liz asked.

Uncertainly, Peter motioned for the Patronus to return, and it came to a halt at his feet. They knelt for a better look.

James and Liz both cheered and hugged Peter, jabbering about what his nickname would be, and good job Peter, I told you you could do it, but all Peter could do was stare numbly.

As the Patronus faded, Peter finally managed to say, "I hate rodents..."

"I've got it!" James yelled. "Wormtail! It fits so well! Congratulations, Peter- Wormy- third one to get a nickname-" His face darkened and he pounded a fist on the floor. "Oh, come on," he growled. "What are you supposed to name a stag?"

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, I know. It was short. next one will probably have some more Remus, and I'm also pretty sure I'll be bringing in the Hogsmeade forms... but the only certainty I have for any future Hogsmeade visits will involve Lily... and that's all I'm going to say! BWAHAHAHA!**

**Anyway, I kept my word, so you can put those torches and pitchforks away! HA! And yeah, the next update will be Sunday- oh, uh... maybe? I think I have another convention to attend- FandomFest- this upcoming weekend... hmm. Well, it'll be SOMETIME around then, I promise!**

**Until next time,**

**-Dndchk**


	3. Rising Tensions

**A/N: POTTERMORE UPDATED.**

**Sorry about the wait; I had a convention to attend and high school started up again. Now it's the weekend, and I finally got the chance to post. Yay! But I am sorry this is so short. The next one will be MUCH longer.**

**POTTERMORE UPDATED.**

**This is mostly a filler chapter, but I promise chapter four will be pretty interesting.**

**POTTERMORE UPDATED.**

**In case you can't tell, I'm pretty psyched about the new info.**

******REMUS' BIOGRAPHY IS ALL KINDS OF SAD.**

**To avoid spoiling for any of you who want to find out for yourself, I won't say anything here. For those of you who don't have an account, I'll list some of the major things at the end of my closing note. Mm-kay?**

**Also, there was some new information regarding Remus' early childhood and his parents' names. I'll try to alter what I originally had planned, so I can stick to canon as much as possible, but what with I already have established, changing Remus' parents' names would just be odd. I now feel awful about that. :/ Some small details about Remus being attacked are also changed, but hopefully everything else will be canon. Ish.**

**Also, thank you guys SO much for all the reviews! You are all the best, and thank you thank you thank you! I can't tell you how awesome you all are. :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or else POTTERMORE WOULD ALREADY BE FINISHED AND EVERY LAST CHARACTER WOULD HAVE DETAILED BIOGRAPHIES AND THERE WOULD BE A MILLION TIMES MORE INFO ON THE MARAUDERS. J.K. Rowling, I'm talking to** **_you._**

* * *

Remus woke with a heavy feeling of trepidation. It took him a moment to remember why.

His father was taking him to the Ministry today. The new legislation that had been passed yesterday took the Lupin family by surprise, to say the least. As if Remus didn't already have enough to worry about for his future already.

Though he'd been a werewolf for eight, almost nine, years, he'd never been on the registry. Maybe it was breaking the law, but Remus' parents didn't want their son to have an even harder time finding a job once he was older. But now... it seemed like there was no choice. If anyone found out that Remus wasn't on the registry, he could be killed.

he made sure to wear his best pair of jeans- the ones that weren't completely worn through at the knees- and a plain, collared shirt that was only a little frayed. Checking his reflection in the mirror, his eyes kept lingering on the scars across his face. Remus suddenly felt extremely self-conscious, and he tried to brush his bangs to cover the worst of the one that cut above his right eye. There was nothing he could do about his cheeks, though, unless he wanted to walk around covering his face with his hands. Of course, that might have been preferable to having some extremely bigoted adult wizards realizing why he had those scars in the first place.

Remus shook his head and straightened his shoulders. The least he could do was keep his chin up. He wouldn't be able to hide behind his parents and friends for his whole life. If he was going to do anything about the bad hand he'd been dealt, he'd have to start somewhere.

He tried to smile at his reflection, but it looked more like he was baring his teeth.

Remus sighed and headed into the kitchen, averting his gaze from the gouges in his doorframe.

He didn't have much of an appetite; he managed to choke down a piece of toast, but it was difficult as his mouth and throat were so dry.

"Just be polite, and you'll be fine," his mum said, smoothing his hair. "It should only take an hour, and then you'll be back here. nothing to worry about." She gave him a kind smile, but Remus' anticipation only worsened.

When Mr. Lupin entered the kitchen, clean shaven and his hair neatly combed, Remus ducked his head to avoid his father's eyes. Several uncomfortable minutes passed as Mr. Lupin ate his breakfast, then, standing, he motioned for Remus to follow.

"Remember- just be polite, and you'll be fine," Mrs. Lupin said, looking nervous. That didn't exactly help Remus' own nerves. She hugged him and kissed her husband, then stepped aside as they headed out the front door.

Once outside the house, Remus tentatively took his father's arm and clamped his mouth shut. Not a moment too soon; as soon as he'd grabbed hold, his father twisted away and Disapparated, taking Remus with him. Remus was quite glad he hadn't eaten much.

The Ministry was surprisingly full for an early Monday. Remus hunched his shoulders as he tried to keep up with his father's long strides. Several people they passed stared curiously at Remus, but only for a moment. After a time, Remus realized they were probably just surprised to see a child at the Ministry, and he wasn't being singled out for his condition. He allowed himself to relax slightly.

Of course, as soon as they walked into the Department for the Regulation and Control of magical Creatures, Remus hunched his shoulders. A few people, all with young children, were standing in a line, waiting to register. A nine year old girl whose arm was roughly held by a Ministry official was crying, asking for her parents. A little boy who couldn't have been more than six was held by his mother. Remus' stomach clenched when he saw that the boy's left leg had been bitten off above the knee.

Now that they were in line, Remus was subjected to the mutterings of passersby. He kept his head down, but his ears reddened when he caught marts of the whisperings.

"...killers, all of them."

"That boy has a nasty look to him."

"...shame about the girl..."

"Careful, they might bite..."

Remus risked a glance around him and caught the eye of a toadlike witch wearing lurid pink robes. A wide smile was plastered on her face.

"Please, please! I want my mummy and daddy," the little girl cried, grabbing at the official's robes. "I'm scared, I want my parents-"

The man backhanded her across the face without even looking at her. "Shut up."

"My daddy-"

"Your _daddy_ doesn't want you," the man snarled. "And neither does your mummy. Nobody wants you, and you'd better get used to the idea. Now shut up or I'll muzzle you."

before he knew what he was doing, Remus had walked over to the man and grabbed his arm. "Let her go," he said quietly. "You're hurting her."

Slowly, the man turned. "Do you know-?" His eyes narrowed as he examined Remus' thin, scarred face. "And what do you think you're doing, ordering me around, _werewolf_?"

Remus felt a hand on his shoulder and he jumped, expecting to see a law enforcement officer, but it was just his father. Mr. Lupin's eyes were cold. "Don't talk to my son that way."

Remus' eyes widened. So did the official's. "John! How's it been? I hear you've moved on from boggarts. What is it now, hinkypunks?" He laughed cruelly. "I haven't seen you around fpr years. When was it, again? Nine years, almost, eh? I'm surprised you even kept this thing around." He casually kicked Remus in the shin.

"Remus, could you leave us for a moment?" Mr. Lupin's voice was dangerously low.

Remus stared uncertainly at his father. What was going on? Was his father actually... sticking up for him?

he hesitated for a moment, but he quickly backed away, looking around nervously as he approached more people. Several skirted away, but most didn't seem to notice that he'd been in the line. When he was not quite out of earshot, he stopped.

"...tell me you don't believe what you said?"

"He's my son, Nathan."

"...not anymore... should have gotten rid of..."

Remus strained his ears, trying to hear. The chatter around him rose and fell, making it difficult to listen in.

"...hadn't said what I said, it wouldn't..." Mr. Lupin gestured towards Remus, only heightening his curiosity.

"...still your fault..."

"And it's haunted me..."

A large crowd suddenly hurried by, and Remus missed what the men were saying until his father snapped, "I could have prevented it and I didn't! You don't know what it's been like for him!" Mr. Lupin and the other man, Nathan, stared each other down for a full minute. The little girl had long since ceased her struggling and was staring at them, her mouth slightly open. She glanced anxiously towards Remus.

Finally, Mr. Lupin turned away and strode over to Remus. "We're leaving," he said flatly.

Remus was more than happy to leave. As they headed for the exit, though, he glanced over his shoulder to see the little girl held in Nathan's cruel grip, her large, sad brown eyes staring knowingly after him.

"Dad-?" Remus began.

"Not now, son," Mr. Lupin said. "I don't want to talk about it."

It was as though Sirius had suddenly expressed a desire to do homework. The world had gone mad, that was the only explanation. Wasn't it? Remus couldn't remember the last time his father had directly addressed him, much less called him 'son'.

The morning's events had certainly given him a lot to think about.

* * *

Sirius nervously twisted a strand of hair, staring at the two-way mirror. He'd finally worked out what he was going to tell James about his father's threat. Now, all he had to do was actually talk to him.

Sirius wished he could just write a letter instead, but he didn't have his own owl and he didn't want to risk having his warning be intercepted by his parents.

Mentally shaking off his anxiety, Sirius reached for the mirror.

"James?" There was no response. He tried again. "James?"

The mirror shimmered as James' grinning face appeared. His hair was even messier than normal, and his face was rather red. He'd probably just come in from the Quidditch field. "Hey, Sirius! What's up?"

Sirius bit his lip, suddenly reluctant to start. "It's... not exactly good."

James' grin faded. "What happened?"

"My parents. They've decided that I'm not allowed to be friends with you and everyone else."

"What?" James' jaw dropped. "Sirius, don't tell me you're going to listen to them!"

"I'm not!" Sirius said quickly, "But the thing is, Regulus is supposed to report to our parents, let them know that I'm 'keeping my word'. Reg doesn't want to cause trouble for us, but he's going to be watched by Narcissa. They want to make sure he's not lying. So, I guess I'm going to ave to stay away from you all this year."

"I can't believe- wait. this year?"

Sirius nodded. "This is Cissy's last year at Hogwarts. She'll be verifying Reg's letters home, so we just need to put on a show for her."

He could almost see the gears turning in James' head. "We're going to have to make everyone think we don't like each other anymore," he said. "We can't just act hostile when Narcissa's around, since she might hear we're hanging out from someone else..." He grimaced. "merlin, this year isn't going to be fun."

Sirius grimaced, too. "I know. But, we still have the dorm to ourselves, and the Invisibility Cloak, so maybe it won't be that bad. And we'll be allowed to go to Hogsmeade this year- _with_ the teacher's permission- so maybe it won't be that bad."

James grinned at him. "See? It'll be alright." There was a pause, then, "So... how's your summer been?"

"Lousy. Yours?"

"Pretty dull."

They were silent for a moment.

"This is awkward,' James finally said, forcing a laugh.

"Talk to you tomorrow?" Sirius asked. "I'm sure something will have happened by then."

"Sure. I'll keep the mirror on me, so if you need to talk..."

"Sounds good. Pass the message on to the others, will you? I don't want my parents finding any letters."

"Will do."

The mirror rippled again, and James' face vanished.

* * *

**A/N: Aww, I want to give all of them hugs. But that goes without saying. Anyway, for those of you who DON'T want spoilers, stop reading NOW. Oh, and the next chapter will be up Sunday. Okay, NOW stop reading.**

**Here's what we learned on Pottermore's last update (and for anyone who wants more detail, PM me and I'll be more than happy to tell you stuffs.)**

**Remus' parents are named Lyall and Hope. (Her maiden name was Howell.) They met when Lyall saved Hope from a rather nasty boggart. D'aww.**

**His father is a wizard, his mother a muggle.**

**Remus was bitten at the age of FOUR. Even earlier than we thought it was! *cries***

**He was the one who first made friends with Peter. Awkward, now that you think about it.**

**The Marauders discovered his condition in their second year.**

**WEREWOLVES AREN'T ALLERGIC TO SILVER. BOO-YAH.**

**REMUS' EYES ARE GREEN. AGAIN, BOO-YAH. (I know I said blue. Again, something I wont change because of what the fic has established. But they're not amber! At least, not all the time.) Oh, and he's also six feet, two inches tall. Just like my dad. :D**

**WEREWOLVES AREN'T ANY STRONGER OR HAVE KEENER SENSES EXCEPT WHE THEY'RE TRANSFORMED. BOO-YAH.**

**TAKE THIS, ALFONSO CUARON! Werewolves are barely distinguishable from regular wolves!**

**Teddy Lupin and Ted Tonks? Their names don't stand for Theodore, like I thought. It's short for EDWARD. *head explodes***

**Tonks' Patronus used to be a jackrabbit. Then it became a regular wolf. Remus' Patronus is a regular wolf, too, but he doesn't conjure a corporeal Patronus if he can help it, since he hates it and thinks it gives away too much.**

**His wand is cypress and unicorn hair, ten and a quarter inches long.**

**Also, I totally called that he was able to smash down doors (as a wolf) when he was little. I feel so proud.**

**No mention why he never checked on Harry, though since he was living a 'hand-to-mouth existence', it could be because he was having a hard enough time just getting by.**

**He was the first-ever werewolf to be awarded an Order of Merlin. It was First- Class, but unfortunately... it wasn't until after he died. D':**

******Tonks was killed by B**chface Lestrange.**

**Dolohov killed Remus because after going back to Tonks in the seventh book, Remus ended up using mostly protective charms and enchantments, and he fell out of practice ****dueling. Dolohov was able to beat him easily. DNDCHK SMASH DOLOHOV'S UGLY BUM-FACE.**

**REMUS (and Tonks) DESERVES ALL THE HUGS IN THIS WORLD AND EVERY OTHER WORLD. Let's have a Remus and Tonks party in the reviews.**

**Until next time,**

**-Dndchk**

**Now please excuse me while I go cry a river. Again. Remus would be flattered if he knew so many people were traumatized over his death. *bawls***


	4. A Costly Mistake

**A/N: Hmm. I won't pretend I'm not a little bummed at the lack of response for the last chapter. Hopefully that will change! *hint, hint***

**I'd like to say thanks to IAmRemusLupin, who spent the last week listening to me ramble about my fic and providing some ideas. Thanks!**

**Anyway, not a whole lot to say, except PLEASE REVIEW! They really do make me smile like nothing else! Okay, I'll stop yapping.**

**Disclaimer: I'm just playing in Rowling's sandbox. I actually don't own anything.**

* * *

Liz paced restlessly around her bedroom, alternating between fuming over her Charms block and desperately trying to think of a powerful memory.

Almost the rest of the summer had passed and there had been little word from any of her friends. Sirius was, according to James, unable to send any letters and was forced to communicate via mirror. James himself was bored out of his mind without his comrades-in-troublemaking, and Peter was rather lonely with only letters to keep in contact. In the meantime, Liz had made very little, if any, progress on her Patronus. Of course, it had been hard to concentrate on that when she was so miserable. Her head pounded terribly, but that small compared to what else was plaguing her. Her mum finally declared that she wasn't a little girl any more, and had dragged her out to get what Liz thought of as self-imposed torture: Bras. The dreaded B-word that made even adults snicker or blush.

It wasn't just that, though; Liz had shot up several inches over the past few months, and was now taller than her mother. As far as she could guess the next time she'd see the boys, she'd be taller than them, except maybe Sirius. Cosequently, she would soon need to get new clothes that _didn't_ show off a good four inches of ankle.

Growing up sucked.

Liz's pacing faltered when she was distracted by a rapping at her window. A large Great Grey owl was perched on the ledge, a letter clamped in its beak. Liz vaguely recognized him as the Potters'. She hurried to let the owl in, then hastily dug out some owl treats from her desk.

"Here, I'll trade," she said, holding out the treat. The owl dropped the envelope on her bed and took the proffered food, nipped her affectionately on her finger, then fluttered over to Athena's perch. She edged over to give the larger one more room.

Liz tore the letter open eagerly, hoping it was an invitation to come over. It was.

_Liz,_

_It's been awfully busy here at the manor. Dad's been tied up with those Death Munchers and mum's been rushing about the country, 'making arrangements' she says. it's been too quiet here without the rest of you lot._

_Luckily, I've been given permission to have everyone over for the rest of the summer. You will come, won't you? Of course you will. _

_Cheers!_

_-Buck_

_(Is that a good nickname? Sod it, Sirius is better at this than I am. I'll see what he thinks.)_

"Mum!" Liz yelled, flinging open her door and rushing downstairs. "Mum, James just sent a letter asking if I can visit for the rest of the summer! I can go, can't I?"

Mrs. Auberey set down her book and drummed her fingers on the sofa. "I don't know, Elizabeth. I'm not entirely sure if I want you to go over there again."

"What?" Liz cried. "But you let me go back at the beginning of summer!" _  
_

"That was just for a day, though. You'd best stay here until September. It's too dangerous."

"Mum!" Liz wailed. "Why can't I go?"

"Because, Elizabeth, I don't want a repeat of Christmas Eve!"

"But Remus and James and-"

"I said _no_, and I mean it."

"_Mum_, I-"

"Elizabeth Grace, you only have two weeks of summer left, surely you can wait to see your friends until then?"

"Argh!" Liz flung up her hands and stomped back to her room, slamming the door behind her.

"Young lady, you've just lost your reading privileges,"Mr. Auberey called from his office.

"FINE!" she screamed.

"For the rest of the summer," he added. "Now stop yelling in the house."

Liz threw herself facefirst onto her bed, furious. She'd been looking forward to going to James' house all summer, and now, she wasn't allowed.

"It's not fair," she whined into her pillow.

She could have blamed her mood on the approaching full moon, but she'd been stuck in the house for almost the entire summer, and the cabin fever was showing. She and Chris were rarely allowed outside, and even then, it was only in their backyard with their mother keeping a close eye on them, which took away all the fun. Liz knew it was for their safety, but she was fed up of having to be so cautious. She couldn't be the best dueler in her year for nothing, could she? Surely she could fend for herself if she needed?

Liz rolled off her bed and parted the curtains, peering into the woods behind the house. A warm breeze ruffled the leaves, and several puffy clouds drifted across the sky. it was too nice a day to stay inside.

If she ventured deep enough into the trees, she'd come across Remus' house after several days of walking, but she wasn't planning on going that far. She just needed some time away from her overbearing parents.

Liz packed a small knapsack with a supply of snacks, a compass in case she got turned around, and a bottle of water. Filling up the bottle was particularly nerve-wracking, as she was sure her mum or dad would hear the tap, but neither of them said anything. Perhaps they thought she was just getting a drink. Liz carefully screwed the lid on, stuck it among the snacks, and crept back to her room. She grabbed her wand from her bedside table and stuck it in her belt.

As she was opening the window, the door behind her creaked. Liz whirled, certain she'd been caught.

"Where are you going?" Chris asked, one hand on the doorknob. The other held a pair of shoes.

"Nowhere," Liz said quickly, mentally smacking herself for not being able to come up with something better.

"Well then, can I come, too?"

Liz paused. It would be nice to have company, but she didn't want to have to keep an eye on her brother. There _was_ safety in numbers, but Chris didn't have his own wand, and he didn't know the first thing about dueling. But... he'd been stuck inside all summer, too. This could be their one last chance to have some fun before war broke out.

She grinned. "Okay. But shh." She put a finger to her lips. Chris beamed at her and carefully shut the door.

"I'll go first," Liz said, looking at the two-story drop beyond the window. Sure, there was a birch tree that grew almost right against the house, but it was a three-foot jump away from the window. She ducked through the window, perching precariously on the ledge.

She briefly thought that it would be easier to cast a Cushioning Charm on the ground below, but she wasn't sure of her ability to do so successfully.

She jumped, grabbed hold of a branch, and swung toward the trunk. Wraping her legs around it, Liz waved cheerfully to her brother. "Come on!"

Chris' face paled, but he nervously clambered onto the sill, gauging the distance.

Liz held out her hand. "I'll get you, I promise."

Chris leapt. He managed to snag a limb, gasping as his hands slipped. Liz lunged for his arm and grabbed hold, hauling him to safety.

"There," she panted. "See? Piece of cake."

Chris' eyes were huge, but he was grinning like mad. "That was so cool," he said.

Liz grinned back at him. "Come on." They scrambled down the trunk and disappeared among the trees.

* * *

_Remus snuggled under his quilt, burrowing into the downy cloths and away from the chill outside. It had been a wonderful day. He and his parents had spent a good part of it playing in the snow, and Remus was certain there couldn't be a better way to spend his last week as a four year-old._

_He reached out for Felix, seeking the kitten's soft, thick fur, but his fingers encountered only air. Puzzled, Remus opened his eyes and looked around. Felix always slept next to him, taking up more space than he had any right to. Where could he have gone?_

_As Remus tried to think, a sharp yowl pierced the night, __and he sat bolt upright in bed._

_"Felix?" he called softly. There was another screech, then silence._

_Felix was outside, and he was in trouble. Remus stuffed his feet into his slippers and hurried from the room, not even taking the time to grab a cloak, or get his parents._

_It was freezing outside. Fat, white flakes drifted down from the sky. The snow-covered ground, illuminated by the full moon, shone like polished silver, and the falling snow seemed to bring an eerie silence to the night._

_"Felix?" Remus said uncertainly. A chill ran down his spine, a chill that had nothing to do with the frigid air. Something wasn't right._

_He didn't pay much attention to the large, heavy footprints that lead away from the house, and even if he had noticed, they could easily have been mistaken for his dad's._

_Remus peered into the trees, taking a few tentative steps into the shadows. He was certain Felix's cry had come from in there. There was no alternative._

_He was only five paces into the woods when he heard it: a deep, menacing growl that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. There was a snapping of undergrowth behind him as something lunged, its growls becoming a snarl. Remus didn't even have time to look before the beast clamped its teeth on his shoulder, and a searing fire ripped through his body._

_He screamed._

_The torture was unending. Jagged claws raked against his back, his arms, his sides, gouging into his flesh. And all the while, its teeth never let go, embedded in his shoulder._

_"MUMMY! DADDY! HELP ME!"_

_But whether or not help would come, he didn't know. The pain was too much, and he felt himself beginning to slip away, losing his grip on conciousness as his blood seeped into the snow._

"AAGHHH!" Remus fell off the sofa, screaming and thrashing, trying to escape. An ink bottle slid off his lap and smashed on the floor.

"Remus!" His mother hurried over, getting rid of the shattered pot with a flick of her wand. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Remus put his head in his hands, breathing deeply. he had to remind himself that he was safe at home, that it was just a nightmare.

He hadn't had such a vivid nightmare for years; in fact, the last one was several nights after his friends found out he was a-

He couldn't even think the word to himself.

His mother held him close. "It was just a nightmare,' she said soothingly, stroking his hair. "It's not real."

"No, it wasn't," he croaked. "I thought I outgrew that dream, but-" he cut himself off, his voice trembling.

His mum gave him a sad look, but said nothing. There was no need. The nightmare had plagued Remus ever since he'd been bitten, forbidding him to escape the memory of the attack.

Remus flinched and pushed his mother away when her hand brushed against his bitten shoulder. He realized he was shaking.

"Do you want to talk about it?" his mother asked.

"N-no. I should get back to my homework. I c-can't believe I fell asleep..."

"You've been working hard, perhaps you should take a break-

"_No_, mum. I'm fine."

She looked at him for a long time, but must have decided it would be best not to press the issue. "If you want to talk about it, just say so." She waited for a moment, but when Remus didn't say anything, she got up and left.

His head ached terribly. There was no way he could finish his Transfiguration essay in this state. Before he lay back down, Remus glanced at the clock. He still had three hours left before he'd have to go out to the shed.

Hopefully, the nightmare wouldn't affect his transformation much.

* * *

Liz's head was pounding. She and Chris had long since drank the last of the water, and her mouth was dryer than a desert. It felt almost like it did in the hours before the full moon rose...

"Chris?" she said suddenly. "What day is it? The seventeenth, or the eighteenth?"

"Eighteenth," he answered. "Why?"

Liz cursed and looked up at the sun. It wouldn't be long before it started sinking below the horizon.

"We have to start heading home _now_," she said. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize- I thought it was tomorrow-"

"What's tomorrow? Or, today?" Chris asked, hurrying to keep up with her quickened pace.

"Full moon," she answered grimly. "And we're not being caught out in the woods after dark. Not if I can help it."

Chris swallowed and tok her hand. "Aren't we going the wrong way?" he asked suddenly.

Liz stopped. For a terrifying moment, she thought he was right, but she realized why he was asking.

"Nah, we're taking a shortcut, of sorts," she explained. "We went in a bit of an arc, and came from back there-" she pointed behind her. "So the fastest way home is this way."

"Don't you think we should go back, though?"

Liz eyed her brother. "Why? It'll take longer."

Chris nodded in acknowledgement. "Yes, but... we know that way is safe.

Liz snorted. "Please. "Chris, I only want to get home as a precaution. I really doubt there's anything in here."

Chris didn't look so certain, but he followed at a trot, glancing around anxiously as they hurried along.

After about an hour of forced walking, Liz's head hurt so much that she could barely think straight. She was actually forced to rely on Chris to lead, as it was all she could do to keep putting on foot in front of the other. It was a good thing she'd decided to let him tag along.

Suddenly, Chris stopped, sniffing the air. "Do you... smell something? Like rotten meat?"

Liz shrugged and rubbed her eyes. "Probably just some dead animal that we can't see. There's nothing to-"

She yelped as a pair of hands lifted her up under her arms and threw her over a shoulder. Chris yelled as he was presumably grabbed as well.

"Chris!" Liz yelled, pounding the man's back. "Let- me- go!" her efforts only seemed to amuse him.

There was an unpleasant squeezing sensation, and Liz realized with a new jolt of horror that they were Apparating. She tried to yell, but her lungs wouldn't cooperate.

Then, suddenly, she could breathe again, and immediately resumed struggling.

The man holding her chuckled. "Two little piggies, all alone in the woods and far from home? We got lucky tonight."

"That we did, Fenrir," the second man rasped. Liz's blood turned to ice.

"F-Fenrir G-Greyback?" she stammered.

"Heard of me, have you, girlie?" Greyback said, cold amusement in his voice. Liz flinched as his nails dug painfully into her back. "You'd best get used to the name."

"What are you going to do to us?" Chris demanded.

Liz twisted around, shaking her head, trying to warn Chris to_ shut up_, which the werewolves seemed to think funny.

"This one doesn't seem too keen on us," Greyback said. Liz continued thrashing. "Oh? What's this?"

"No! That's-!"

"Interesting." Greyback pulled Liz's wand from her belt and rolled it between his fingers. "You hate werewolves, don'tcha, girlie?" Liz's mind raced, trying to figure out how she was possibly going to get them out of this mess.

"What kind of a question is that?" she snapped. "One bit me two years ago- what do you think?" She silently prayed Chris would play along.

The men were silent for a moment. "Where's the bite?" Greyback finally demanded.

Liz thrust her arm to the side, hoping she could pass it off as a cub bite. "I think it was just a kid, it was really small," she said.

She cringed when the other man roughly grabbed her arm and twisted it to better see. Her wrist flared with pain, and the man nodded. "That's a werewolf bite, alright," he said.

"Don't touch me," she spat.

"Feisty," he snickered. He grabbed her jaw and turned her head to face him. Liz found herself looking into a rugged, scarred face with deep-set amber eyes peering out from beneath bushy eyebrows. "And yeah, her eyes have gone yellow, too."

Liz gulped. That meant they only had a few minutes, maybe half an hour, before they would be...

Her stomach lurched at the thought of Chris suffering the same fate as Remus, and she threw up. She allowed herself a grim smile of satisfaction when some of the vomit landed on Greyback's coat.

The satisfaction was short-lived, however, when Greyback's nails scratched her back again. "Still getting past the sickness? We've all had that, but it's no excuse to go _ruining my coat._"

He threw her to the ground, and Chris joined her a moment later. They were in a small clearing in the woods, with a small campfire burning in the center. Three shabby tents of rags and scavenged cloths were strung up between the trees, making a crude camp. It smelled, if it was possible, even worse than Greyback himself.

"Diane!" Greyback called. "We're back."

A woman, so thin she looked almost skeletal, emerged from one of the makeshift tents. "It's almost sunset," she snapped. "Where have you-?" Her eyes fell on Liz and Chris, and she smiled horribly. "Two more for the pack?"

"Just one," liz said, her voice trembling. "I've been bitten already, but please, just let my brother go."

The three stared at her, then threw their heads back and positively howled with laughter.

Liz and Chris exchanged frightened looks. They could be anywhere at this point, so even if they managed to escape the camp, they would only have avoided their fate temporarily. Without somewhere to go, they would be run down and bitten. Without somebody to hear their screams, they'd probably be killed.

"It'll be okay," Liz whispered,hugging her brother. She felt terrible, though. She'd been so stupid to ignore her parents' warnings, and now, she and Chris were going to pay for it.

She was jerked out of her thoughts when she heard footsteps approaching. Greyback had found a length of rope. All hope of running was lost if they were going to be tied up.

"Arms," he said curtly. He knotted the rope around Liz's wrist and tied her to Chris. Liz almost breathed a sigh of relief, but had to remind herself that she was supposedly doomed to bite her own brother.

"Please, don't..." she whispered.

Greyback smiled, showing his yellow, pointed teeth. "Don't worry, girlie, you're young. You shouldn't hurt him- much." He ruffled Chris' hair, smirking when the boy cringed away.

"Our parents are going to be looking for us," Chris said shakily. "We'd normally have Liz locked up by now..."

"Look, kiddo," the unnamed man snarled, "Even if your parents cared enough to come looking for you when there's a good chance your sister will have eaten you-" Liz flinched. "They'd never find you in time. We're thirty miles west of where we found you, and they'd have to search the whole forest-"

Liz's head snapped up. "You said west?" she asked, interrupting the man's speech.

"Open your ears, that's what I said," he growled.

Chris looked at Liz. "Do we run? he whispered.

"Not yet," she whispered back. "But once I get a wand and a sense of direction..." It was a flimsy hope, but it was the only one they had. They would have to run, find a tree, and hope neither of them fell out when the werewolves tried to reach them. After that... she'd have to figure it out if it ever came to that.

She edged to the left, trying to see the sun through the dense branches. West was right behind them- and the sun had almost set.

Liz's heart was pounding as she leaned towards Chris. "Once I get a wand, we're going to run, right behind us. I'll need you to find a tree we can climb, because I'm going to have a hard enough time running as it is. Get ready. We only have a few minutes."

He nodded and shifted his weight so his feet were under him.

The man and the woman had retreated to their tents, probably to undress so their scavenged clothes wouldn't shred. Greyback, however, came over to Liz.

"See you in the morning," he said, leering at them. He reached out with one claw, trailing it down her cheek.

Liz spat in his face.

"You little-!" Greyback rubbed his eyes furiously. That was all the distraction Chris needed. He reached around Greyback and snatched Liz's wand from his belt.

"RUN!" Liz bawled.

There was a chorus of screams as the moon began to rise.

They sprinted through the darkening woods, Chris leading, Liz firing spell after spell over her shoulder, knowing she couldn't stop, only slow the beasts.

Hot, heavy panting could be heard behind them, and Liz yelped when she heard a snarl.

"_Impedimenta!_" she yelled, aiming for the sound. There was a yip of surprise and she knew she'd bought some time.

"Liz, there's a tree- there-" Chris gasped, pulling at the rope that bound them.

They would only have one chance, and they'd have to do it together- or else they would be caught.

As they drew closer, though, Liz almost stumbled. It was the lowest branch they'd seen, but it was at least ten feet above their heads. They were done for.

"Chris- I'm sorry-" she gasped.

"Jump! When I say-"

"What?!"

"NOW!" Chris yelled. Liz didn't have much of an option. She leapt.

There was a tingling sensation in her feet and she and Chris shot up towards the branch, managing to catch hold and scramble to safety, while three slavering beasts hurled themselves at the tree.

"Chris! You used magic?" Liz said, stunned.

"Accident," he mumbled. "Let's go higher." He shot a terrified look at the ground.

"Lemme get rid of this first," Liz said. She tapped the bindings with her wand. "_Diffindo_."

When the severed rope fell to the ground, the werewolves attacked it, fighting each other for the human scent.

Fear lending them strength, the children hauled themselves up, leading to a protest of angry howls.

Once they were well out of reach, they braced themselves between boughs, neither talking.

After a while, Liz broke the silence. "I am so- I'm so-" she put her face in her hands and began to sob. "I'm so sorry."

Chris patted her arm, but said nothing.

Liz wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Her back stung where Greyback had scratched her, but she felt she deserved it. Leading her brother into danger was her fault. She had to get them safely home.

"Stay here," she ordered before moving higher. "I'll be right back."

She climbed until she had passed the tops of most of the other trees. Emerging into the moonlit night, she looked around, seeking a gap in the trees. If she was right...

The moon illuminated the trees, giving them the appearance of being leafed in silver. There! Where there was a ribbon of darkness- a road. It would only take them ten minutes to reach once morning came.

Hope swelled in her chest, and more tears- this time of relief- streamed down her face. Hastily, she made her way back down, but was forced to take short breaks as waves of nausea hit her.

It took her a moment to speak once she reached Chris. "There's a road some ways over there," she said, pointing. "We'll set off first thing tomorrow. if I'm right, we'll be home in time for lunch."

Chris' eyes shone, and they both broke down, hugging each other tightly.

Far below, the werewolves continued to savage the tree, howling in frustration at the humans that were just out of reach.

* * *

**A/N: Totally wasn't expecting Greyback to show up so early, but it actually worked for what I have planned. MWAHAHAHA! **

**But wow, this got dark really fast. **

**Not much to say but review, please! I'll give you cookies! HEre! (::) (::) (::) Chocolate chip!**

**Chapter five will be up in a week.**

**Until next time,**

**-Dndchk**


	5. Temporary Refuge

**A/N: Hehe... I'm giving you guys a special treat today: TWO chapter updates instead of one! Don't you love me?**

**Anywho, thanks so much for the reviews! I couldn't believe it when they just came pouring in... Now do it again! Cookies in advance! (::) (::) (::)**

**So, the reason I decided to post two chapters is that this one here is extremely short and is pretty much just filler. *sigh* It needed to be done.**

**Disclaimer: As much as I love Harry Potter, the credit all goes to the Goddess of Writing, Ms. J.K. Rowling herself.**

* * *

If someone had told Remus that Liz and her brother would show up on his doorstep uninvited, exhausted, bloody, and terrified the night after the full moon, he would never have believed it.

The night had been rough; the wolf had bitten its side over and over in frustration, and his abdomen was covered in deep, painful puncture wounds that refused to heal. Even the best healers could only do so much for cursed wounds.

He was drifting off into a much-needed sleep when he heard a pounding on the front door. He yelped and tried to sit up, his muddled thoughts jumping to the conclusion that the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures was coming for him, but then he heard a voice.

"Please, please, we need help!"

His eyes widened. What on earth was Liz's little brother doing out here, all by himself, so early in the morning?

Mrs. Lupin rushed to answer the door, gasping when she opened it. "You'd best get inside,' she said. There was a muffled groan and several labored footsteps, then the creaking of the sofa as someone sat on it.

"Mum?" Remus called hoarsely.

"Go on," a girl- Liz?- croaked. "I'll be fine."

Remus' mother hurried into his room."Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm fine, but who-?" his dry throat caused him to burst into a hacking cough. His mother helped him raise a glass of water to his lips.

"Don't you worry about it," she said gently. "You need to sleep. You've had a rough night."

"But Liz-"

"Shh. Just go to sleep. I promise she'll be fine."

* * *

Liz gratefully accepted the blanket and mug of cocoa from Remus' mother, but she didn't drink. Her stomach was churning, and her hands shook so much that some of the hot liquid sloshed over the rim of the mug. Chris, however, drank his greedily, gulping the cocoa down in several seconds. Liz cupped her hands around the mug, letting the warmth seep into her numb fingers.

"What happened to you two?" Ms. Caitlin asked as she came out of Remus' room. "Elizabeth, you look like a half-drowned cat, your back is all scratched up, and you, Christopher, your ankle looks like it's been sprained!" As she spoke, she rolled Chris' pant leg up and inspected his ankle, clucking disapprovingly. Liz was strongly reminded of Madam Pomfrey. She tapped it with her wand, muttering something unintelligible. Chris winced, then sighed with relief as his swollen ankle shrank to normal size.

"It's much better now; thank you," he said.

"You're very welcome, but do you realize what last night was?" Ms. Caitlin looked at Liz and winced. "Of course you do. But why on earth-?"

"Greyback," Liz choked out. She began to tremble.

Ms. Caitlin had gone white. "He didn't- he didn't-?"

"he didn't bite us," Liz whispered, "But he almost did." A hot tear rolled down her cheek. "I managed to convince him that I'm a w- a- you know, and he tied me to Chris because he wanted me to b- b-" she had to set her mug down when she began to shiver violently.

"And where-?"

"About a mile back east," Chris said. He sneezed four times in rapid succession, sending water flying from his hair.

"Oh, I'm so sorry- let me get that-" A wave of Ms. Caitlin's wand, and they were suddenly dry again.

They'd been forced to wait in the tree until the moon finally set, at which point Liz Stunned the werewolves, giving herself and Chris enough time to make their way back to the ground and run. It wasn't exactly easy. It had rained in the middle of the night, soaking the two of them to the bone and making the tree precariously slick. Chris had slipped on his way down and had landed on his left leg, twisting his ankle at an unnatural angle, but he somehow managed to hobble along at a fairly steady pace.

Liz, however, was in even worse shape. They were both worn out from the terror and the sleepless night, but she'd also spent much of the night being sick, even past the point of her stomach emptying itself. Fatigue, hunger, and the onset of a post-moon migraine took its toll, and she collapsed only a few feet away from the tree. Chris, barely able to walk himself, somehow managed to haul her to her feet and together, they were able to stumble to the road and to Remus' house.

"If it weren't for Chris, I'd probably be..." Liz trailed off, unable to end her story.

Ms. Caitlin drew them both into a hug. "I'm so glad you're safe,' she said. She released them and held Liz at arm's length, studying her. "You look like you could use some food," she said. "Let me get you something to eat, and then I'll contact your parents."

Liz nodded wearily, feeling her eyelids droop. She was safe. Chris was safe. Greyback was no longer a threat.

She yawned widely, barely aware of Chris' cheerful voice as he dug into whatever food had been brought over. It was just nice to finally be able to sleep.

* * *

Remus woke from a fitful dream to hear several voices in his parents' bedroom. His mind was still hazy from sleep, and it took him a while before he could properly hear what they were saying.

"...miracle neither of them were bitten, of course, but Fenrir Greyback around here-"

"That's what worries me. He's already gotten..."

"But Remus..."

"Mum?" Remus called, struggling to sit up. The voices immediately stopped, and Remus heard his mother hurrying through the kitchen to his bedroom.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, putting a hand behind his back and helping him off the pillows.

"About as well as can be expected," he said dryly. "Who came in earlier? It sounded like Liz and Chris..."

His mum chose not to answer, focusing intently on changing his bandages.

"Remus?" He startled when he heard Liz's voice. Her slight form appeared, silhouetted in the doorway. "May I come in?"

"Sure," he called. His voice sounded raspy, and he suddenly became aware of his dry throat.

She moved forward, a small but anxious smile on her face. "How are you feeling?"

Remus had to suppress a sigh. Was that the phrase of the day, or what? "I'm fine, but I could ask you the same question. How did you and Chris end up all the way out here?"

"That's... erm..." Liz shuffled her feet, suddenly looking like she expected to be hit. "I'll tell you later."

"Elizabeth!" Remus flinched as Mrs. Auberey's voice rang through the sitting room. "Where did you get off to? You're coming home right- oh!" She had peered into Remus' room looking for her daughter and caught sight of Remus. He shrank away from her horrified gaze, knowing he must look like hell. He was immensely grateful when Liz stepped in front of him.

"Yes, mum," she murmured. She gave Remus an apologetic look before allowing her mother to lead her out to the fireplace.

Remus looked at his own mother. "What _did_ happen?"

Mrs. Lupin sighed and rested her hands in her lap. "Do you know who Fenrir Greyback is?"

Remus swallowed. Greyback, the werewolf who gave all werewolves a bad name, who was renowned for his disturbing cannibalistic tendencies, who was the prime culprit behind all the bitings in recent months? "Yes," he whispered. "He didn't-?"

"he didn't bite either of them," his mother said, "But it was close. They were lucky; Greyback is not one to let his prey get the better of him." She hesitated, biting her lip. "Remus, there's something I've been meaning to-"

"Caitlin!" Mr. Lupin said suddenly. Remus jumped. He hadn't seen his father come into the room. "I told you I don't want this discussed."

His parents stared each other down for a long time. Finally, Remus' mother sighed and got up. "Fine. But he needs to know sometime." She looked back at Remus. "If you need anything, I'll be in the kitchen, love."

Remus and his father were left alone in the room. Remus braced himself for some harsh word, some gesture of disgust, but all his father said was, "Sleep well, son."

_Maybe the world _has _gone mad, _Remus thought as he lay back against his pillows. _Dad acting as though I actually exist... but what was mum trying to say? Does dad know something about Greyback? _He didn't ponder these questions for long, though. Exhausted from the rough night, he soon drifted into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Not really much to say but REVIEW! Hugs to you guys, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter!**

**Also, I haz found a new fandom. Mortal Instruments is now number four on my favorite book series list. There's something wrong with my brain- I have the innate ability to latch on to the characters who are lycanthropic (before even realizing their condition) and get way too attached to them. Whyyy?**

**Reviews will be replied to swiftly! (Unless you review while I'm asleep. In that case, you will hear back as soon as I'm awake.)**

**Until next time,**

**-Dndchk**


	6. Reunions

**A/N: More filler. Yay. Chapter six should have some pretty interesting ****thingers happening there, if that makes up for this. *hopeful smile***

**Disclaimer: I don't own them, but the characters just won't get out of my head. So I decided to put them to work. Enjoy!**

* * *

Sirius couldn't have been happier when September first finally arrived. He woke just as the sun was rising over the grimy rooftops of Grimmauld Place, and spent the next two hours dashing about his room, throwing clothes and books and quills into his trunk, berating himself for not at least getting started packing yesterday. But then, he reflected, where would be the fun in that? It was really just a race to see if he could finish before they had to leave.

Just as he was throwing his telescope on top of the mess, there was a small knock on the door.

"Come in," Sirius called. Only Regulus would have bothered to knock.

His brother's head was down, and his feet dragged as he entered. He certainly didn't look as though he was going off to Hogwarts for the first time. The gallows, maybe, but not Hogwarts.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked, frowning. Slowly, Regulus looked up. Sirius' fists clenched.

There was a large bruise on Regulus' cheek, just below his eye. The rough outline of a hand was barely visible.

"Oh, Reg..." Sirius trailed off, gesturing helplessly. "Was it mother or father?"

"Mother," Regulus said quietly. "I asked her if you really had to break away from your friends..."

"Look." Sirius sat on his trunk and patted the space next to him. "Don't worry about it, okay? Think of it like a game. We just need to fool our parents, and we win. My mates and I have a plan. It'll be fine; you don't need to say anything to mother. Okay?"

Regulus nodded miserably. "I just-" he broke off and sighed.

Sirius felt it would be best to change the subject. "You're going to love the start-of-term feast."

Regulus perked up almost immediately. "With so much food it would take an army to eat it all, and ghosts floating through everything and getting sorted- how _do_ we get sorted?"

Sirius smirked. "Sorry, not telling. But I will say this-" he leaned in conspiratorially. "You might want to brush up on your combat spells. Dumbledore might be old, but he's no slouch."

He stifled a hoot of laughter as Regulus ran from the room faster than Snivellus confronted with shampoo. "First years," he chortled, grabbing his trunk and dragging it to the front hall.

Ten minutes later, Orion Black had Apparated the boys to the secluded back alley. "Come along, Regulus," he said. He didn't even look at Sirius.

They made their way to the station, which was crowded with people. It wasn't exactly difficult to go through, though; Orion Black possessed a menacing sort of aura that had a tendency to make people get out of his way. Sirius stayed close enough to take advantage of the gap in the crowd, but hopefully not so close that he would be associated with the Black patriarch.

As they approached the barrier that divided platforms nine and ten, Regulus stopped.

"What's the matter?" Sirius asked, irritated with the holdup. "You've gone through before."

"I just want to remember this," Regulus said, not looking back at him.

"I'm not waiting for this," Sirius muttered, rolling his eyes. "Coming through!"

Regulus jumped aside as Sirius barreled past. There was a whooshing noise as he passed through the barrier, and a second later he was standing on the platform.

Sirius wasn't going to wait for Regulus. He wanted to put as much distance possible between himself and his father. He set off, searching for a compartment.

He finally found one in the second- to- last carriage. Satisfied, Sirius somehow managed to pull his trunk onto the train without crushing his toes, then he opened the window and leaned out, watching for the others.

After a few minutes, a boy with familiarly messy black hair and slightly lopsided glasses rushed through the barrier. Sirius grinned. "OI! JAMES!"

James waved furiously, then turned back to his parents. They exchanged farewells, then James was pushing his trunk toward Sirius, smiling widely.

The boys wrestled James' trunk into the compartment before collapsing onto the seats, out of breath.

"So," James said after a while, "What do you think of 'Buck'?"

Sirius wrinkled his nose. "'_Buck_?' What for?"

"My nickname, duh," james said exasperatedly. "Good or not?"

"Definitely not," Sirius snickered. "It sounds like what horses do to unwanted riders."

James stuck his tongue out. "I'd like to see you come up with something better," he teased.

"Anything's better than 'Buck'," Sirius shot back. "We could always call you 'Venison' if you want." James swatted him.

"What is this, pick-on-Sirius day?" Liz asked as she slid the door open.

"Woah, Liz- you grew!" James exclaimed, jumping up and trying to compare heights. She was easily several inches taler. Sirius' cheeks pinked when he realized he was staring. She certainly didn't look like a little kid anymore.

"That's right, I grew. Now I can get you back for all those boogies!" Liz grabbed James and put him in a headlock.

"Hey! Lemme go! I didn't mean it," he yelped.

"If it makes you feel any better, you're taller, too," she said, releasing him. "Are Remus and Peter not here yet?"

"Nah, they are, they're just hiding on the luggage rack," Sirius said.

Liz rolled her eyes and sat down next to James. "So, James said you have something to tell us," she said, looking expectantly at Sirius.

Sirius shifted uncomfortably. "I'd rather only have to say it once," he mumbled, fiddling with his sleeves.

"Say what once?"

"Moony!" James yelled, jumping up and catching Remus in a hug.

"Ow- James- ribs-" Remus gasped.

James quickly let go and stepped back, looking abashed. "Sorry..."

Remus shook his head. "No, no, it's fine, really, I just-"

A knock on the door interrupted him. Peter stuck his head in, beaming at them. "Hello!"

James ruffled Peter's hair. "Where were you, Pete? Everyone else showed up ages ago!"

"I just got here," Remus mumbled. James waved a hand.

"Details, details. So, Sirius, you were going-" The train lurched forward suddenly and James sat down, hard. "You'd think they'd blow the whistle to warn us," he grumbled. As though the conductor had heard, the whistle shrilled, adding insult to injury. James' scowl deepened. "You have got to be joking."

Sirius fidgeted when everyone else looked at him expectantly. "So, what was it you only wanted to say once?" Liz asked.

Sirius glanced at James, trying to remind himself that James had taken the news well enough- but that might have been because James was the last one in line if worse came to worse. As though he could sense Sirius' thoughts, James nudged him and gave him an encouraging smile.

Sirius took a deep breath. "Okay. So, there's a reason I haven't sent any letters all summer..."

As he told them of his parents' threats, Sirius kept his gaze on his shoes, unable to meet his friends' eyes. When he finished, it was silent in the compartment, save for the rattle-clack of the train's wheels.

Someone placed a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Peter giving him a small smile. "It'll be okay, Sirius," he said, glancing at James. "Right?"

"Right," James said. "Sirius, would you like me to take it from here?"

Sirius nodded gratefully and James, needing no further prompting, launched into telling them about the plan. "Regulus isn't planning on writing home to his parents, but Narcissa's going to be a problem. We're going to have to fool the entire school, though, if we don't want her to get suspicious. Think of it, though- a massive, year-long prank on everyone, even the teachers? It'll be brilliant!"

Liz looked thoughtful. That would mean we won't be able to sit together during meals or classes," she said.

"Yeah, but that shouldn't be too bad. Besides, we'll have the dormitory to plot, you know?" James grinned suddenly. Sirius knew what that particular grin meant: trouble. "Considering the fuss Sirius and I kicked up last year, we could probably pick up where we left off, and nobody will be any wiser!"

"We'll make this work," Remus said. "And honestly, this is the kind of prank I could get behind..." He ducked his head when everyone stared at him.

"Remus, how bad did you hurt yourself last moon?" James said worriedly. Remus shrugged uncomfortably.

"Oh, James, lighten up. Remus is a Marauder; it's about time he started acting like one," Sirius said. They all laughed, and Sirius smiled. He felt, for the first time since summer began, that this year was actually going to be fun.

The train rattled northward. The Marauders managed to waste several hours playing Exploding Snap and pointing out oddly-shaped clouds, but altogether, the trip was uneventful until James returned from the bathroom.

"Sirius, get under the Cloak," he hissed, pulling it from his pocket and throwing it at Sirius.

"What? James, I'm not-"

"Narcissa's coming down the train and she's looking for you."

Sirius paled and fumbled with the Cloak as James sat down and grabbed a random book from the pile next to Remus. He had barely pulled it over himself when the door slid open and Narcissa stepped over the threshold.

"Have any of you seen Sirius Black?" she asked cooly. Liz's cheeks pinked when Narcissa's pale eyes lingered on her ratty hair and battered shoes.

"Sorry, we haven't seen him since we left the platform," James said, sounding genuinely disappointed. "I don't know what's wrong- I called his name and I know he saw me, but he just turned around and left."

"What?" Remus said, putting his own book down. "You said you didn't see him..."

"Well, I didn't want you guys to worry..." James mumbled.

"So, he's not here," Liz said. "You'll just have to keep looking."

Narcissa inspected her nails, acting as though Liz hadn't said anything more important than a comment on the weather. "I was talking to Potter, not you, mudblood."

Liz's face flushed, but she stayed in her seat. "James, don't," she muttered when he started to stand. To Narcissa, she said, "You should probably leave. Sirius isn't here, and you won't find him by standing around and insulting us."

Narcissa looked at each of them; James seemed unaffected by her gaze, but Remus shifted a little and Peter visibly shrank away from her. She must have decided that it wasn't worth wasting her time, though, since she turned and stalked away, slamming the door behind her.

Sirius pulled the cloak off. "Merlin, she's not happy."

"She seemed perfectly cheerful to me," James said, but his trademark grin was gone. "We're definitely going to have to prank her some-"

"No!" Sirius said frantically. "You can't! She'll know you guys will be behind it, and she already hates most of you because of your heritage, not to mention she's still pissed about the bat poop from last Halloween, and everyone's certain we did it." He bit his lip, staring pleasingly at James. "No pranks on her, okay?"

"Fine," James said, but he still looked irritated. "I solemnly swear that there will be no pranking of Narcissa." He paused for a moment. "Snivellus is still allowed, though, right?"

Sirius and Liz exchanged wicked grins. "Definitely," Sirius said.

* * *

**A/N: More filler stuff. I need to stop repeating myself. I need to stop repeating myself. Next chapter will have the Sorting and all that good stuff. I was having a bit of trouble with the transition period- can you tell? Ugh.**

**Anyway, as always, the next chapter will be up Sunday- and don't for get to review! ;D**

**Until next time,**

**-Dndchk**


	7. Another New Teacher

**A/N: Yeah, here it is. It's technically NOT late, since it's still Sunday my time! Haha! But yeah, I was bustin' my butt trying to finish in time. Blame the writer's block. Again.**

**Anyway, yeah, September first, guys! Here's to another school year at Hogwarts! It would be my sixth year, and Teddy's fifth... hehehe. :3 But who's keeping track? *whistles innocently***

**Disclaimer: I own the OCs and the plot. Everything else is the creation of JKR. *bows* Oh, and the song is mine. I might have accidentally used some phrases; let me know if I did, kplzthx.**

* * *

"Thank Merlin it isn't raining this year," Liz said as she stepped off the train. She tilted her head back to look at the sky. Several large clouds hung overhead, obscuring the waning moon.

"Move it, Liz, you're blocking the door," James' irritated voice said from behind her.

"I'm going, keep your hair on," Liz said, swatting his hand away when he prodded her shoulder. She and James hovered near the door, waiting for Remus and Peter, who had somehow got caught in the crowd.

"Wait- there's Sirius," James said. "Sirius!"

Sirius half-raised his hand, but suddenly lowered it as though realizing that he wasn't supposed to be associating with them. He opted for a rude gesture instead. Liz rolled her eyes; Sirius was going to have too much fun with this.

From over the heads of the crowd, though, she could see Narcissa smile approvingly.

"You know how we thought this year might not be so awful?" James said. "I take it back. This year's going to suck. Bad."

"Badly," Liz corrected automatically.

"I ain't gonna talk with no proper grammar if I don't gotta," James said. He folded his arms and stuck his nose in the air, doing an uncanny impression of Lily, but a moment later, he snorted and doubled over with laughter. "Sorry," he managed to say.

Liz shook her head, but she was laughing as well.

They waited for Remus and Peter to join them before they headed for the carriages.

They made awkward small talk on the short trip to the castle, but without Sirius' boisterous energy, it seemed... incomplete. Liz leaned out the window as the carriage passed through the gates. She gazed up at the castle, picking out familiar landmarks as they drew closer. It was good to be back.

When the carriage pulled up to the front doors, Peter was the first one out. "Food!" he yelled, not even waiting for the others. It was inconsequential, though, as they were right behind him.

Sirius was already seated when they entered the Great Hall. Liz grimaced when they made to sit next to him, and he scooted farther along the bench. This was going to be a long year.

James fiddled with his goblet as the rest of the school filed in. "Why can't they hurry it up?" he moaned. "I'm starving!"

"I heard there's venison on the menu," Liz said, earning herself a smack upside the head.

"Would you cut that out?" James snapped.

Liz glowered at him. "Sorry," she muttered mutinously. Remus nudged her and leaned over so James couldn't hear.

"I think he's just touchy that his nicknames are being made fun of," he said quietly. "Just let it go. Unless you want him to tease you when you figure out what your animal is?"

Liz rolled her eyes, but nodded. He had a point.

"Here come the firsties," James said, an evil grin spreading across his face. Liz turned to watch as Professor McGonagall led a group of tiny students up the middle of the hall. Liz stared. Had she really been that small once?

She was able to pick Regulus out immediately. He looked almost like he could be Sirius' twin, but without the confidence. He was visibly trembling, and for some reason, eyeing Dumbledore as if the old man was going to lunge across the table and attack.

The hall fell silent when Professor McGonagall stopped in front of the three-legged stool that held the Sorting Hat. Liz and the others leaned forward, waiting for the song. They weren't disappointed.

_Back when Hogwarts was completed  
__And students came to learn,  
They met the founders and they sought  
Their patronage to earn._

_The brave and bold and strong of heart  
Were prized by Gryffindor  
Ravenclaw looked for inquiring minds  
And seekers of lost lore._

_Hufflepuff took the patient, the hardworking,  
The just, the kind, the true,  
Slytherin sought those with great ambition,  
The cunning, sly, and shrewd.  
_

_So they took their very own  
And taught them all they knew,  
But the question was, when they were gone,  
Who would be left to choose?_

_It's my job now to sort you,  
I've never yet been wrong.  
I'll have a look inside your head  
And sort you where you belong!_

The hall burst into applause and Liz and Remus exchanged relieved looks. No morbid messages of death and despair this year.

McGonagall unrolled the scroll with the students' names. "Black, Regulus."

Despite the seriousness of the occasion, Liz had to stuff her fist in her mouth to muffle her giggles. At the mention of Sirius' brother, the teachers' attention became fixated on the boy, probably calculating how much trouble they could expect from him.

The hat was silent for a moment before yelling, "SLYTHERIN!"

The green-decked table cheered as Regulus hurried to join them. Liz shot Sirius a sympathetic look, but he seemed to have developed a great interest in his silverware.

"Bones, Gordan."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Liz tuned the Sorting out, but she made sure to clap with everyone else whenever a new Gryffindor joined the ranks. She just didn't really care about this year, but next year, when Chris was starting, she'd pay attention- and since their last name began with 'A', she would only have to wait a few minutes.

"Why can't they hurry up?" James whined. "I'm-"

"James," Liz interrupted, "You've said that already."

"Besides, you can't be as hungry as me," Peter chimed in.

"I could eat more than you any day, Pettigrew, and you know it!"

"James, this is Peter we're talking about," Liz said dryly.

James looked affronted. "Well, I can at least eat more than him tonight!"

Remus massaged his temples. "If either of you is sick in the middle of the night, I'm not cleaning it up."

"Fair enough." James turned to Peter. "So, how are we going to decide on the winner?"

Peter shrugged. "Let's just see if we can eat all through the feast."

Liz's stomach turned over. "Just thinking about that makes me ill," she muttered.

"Their pain is self-inflicted," Remus said, though he looked a little green as well.

Hoping to get of the subject of eating oneself sick, Liz looked up at the head table, wanting to take stock of the new Defense teacher. The only unfamiliar face didn't impress her. The new teacher was a rather... buxom lady, with long, silky, platinum-blonde hair and blue eyes like pools of water. Her robes were made of a filmy grass green cloth that seemed to float around her. She looked like she belonged more in an issue of _Witch Weekly_ instead of in a classroom. Liz despised her instantly.

"She's definitely not going to last the year," Liz muttered to herself.

"Who?" Remus followed her gaze and shrugged. "The new teacher?" He stared at her for a few minutes. "She doesn't look half bad..."

Liz scowled at the table. "She looks pathetic."

"Dumbledore wouldn't have hired her if she wasn't up to the job," Remus protested, not taking his eyes off the new teacher.

Liz bristled. "Almost nobody will take the position because they think the job's been cursed. I mean, ask any of the older students; nobody has been able to hold it for longer than a year. Besides, I don't think the teachers even have to be qualified anymore. Apparent;y, the teacher three years ago was fired because he was snorting dried doxy venom."

Remus didn't seem to be listening, his eyes focused on the head table. Liz was about to snap at him for ogling the new teacher before he said, "Where's Professor Binns?"

Liz scanned the table and realized that the ancient history professor wasn't there. "Maybe he died," she said.

"Who died?" James asked, suddenly interested in the conversation.

"Binns. He's not here."

"Binns died?" Peter gasped.

"Nobody died!" Remus exclaimed, a little too loudly. Several people turned to look at them. "Liz was just being rash," he continued in an undertone.

"I was _not_ being _rash_," Liz protested. "Come on, Rem, Bins is ancient, he's going to have to die sometime soon."

Remus closed his eyes, breathing deeply through his nose. Liz quickly shut her mouth when she recognized it as his please-shut-up-now-or-else face.

Dumbledore stood up. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! As much as I would love to address you all now, I think all of us, myself included, would prefer to eat. Enjoy!"

The feast appeared on the tables and Liz began to pile food onto her plate before James and Peter could steal all the good stuff.

None of them talked as they ate, too busy stuffing themselves to bother with conversation. When Liz was full, she set her fork down, averting her eyes from James and Peter, who were eating like pigs. It was pretty disgusting.

Lily seemed to agree. "Honestly, Potter, just because you have no manners doesn't mean you need to eat like a caveman," she said from a few seats down the table.

"Mmph gbth blgg, och," James mumbled around his food. Lily wrinkled her nose and deliberately turned her back on him. For once, Liz could agree with Lily's sentiments.

She noticed Remus watching the new teacher again and waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello? Earth to brainless?"

"What?" Remus asked, irritated.

"Stop gaping at her! It's really weird, not to mention creepy." Liz was not too happy when Remus just rolled his eyes and turned back to gawk.

"I can't believe him," she said to James. "I mean, since when does he ever..." she trailed off incredulously when she realized James and Peter had stopped eating and were staring up at the new teacher as well. James looked like he did whenever he saw Lily...

Something was going on. Liz looked around the hall and felt her eye twitch when she realized almost every boy had stopped eating to stare at the lady, who seemed quite oblivious to all the attention she was getting.

Liz pushed her plate away, ignoring the desserts that appeared on the table. None of the boys even noticed.

James was snapped out of his daze when the food vanished. "I wasn't done eating!" he wailed.

"Your own fault," Liz muttered, still seething.

Professor Dumbledore stood once more. "Now that we have eaten, it is time for some announcements. First years- and some older students as well- should note that the Forbidden Forest if off-limits to everyone, as is the Whomping Willow near the greenhouses. Magic is not to be used in the corridors, and the list of banned magical items is on Mr. Filch's office door, for anyone who wishes to check it.  
"Also, I'd like to welcome Professor Mila Krasimir, who has graciously taken the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was some very enthusiastic response, most notably from the male members of the crowd. Liz groaned and dropped her head to the table when James, Peter, and Remus joined in. She risked a glance down the table and regretted it when she saw Sirius cheering along with everyone else.

"Now then, it's time for you to head off to bed. Pip pip!"

Liz had to practically drag her friends away, shooting a worried look at Sirius, who was still in his seat, transfixed by Professor Krasimir.

"Come on, you guys," she said, tugging impatiently at Remus' sleeve. "You can stare at her all you want in class."

"Ugh," James groaned as she led them up to the Gryffindor tower. "I think I'm gonna barf..."

Liz silently agreed.

* * *

**A/N: Ooh, boy, Liz is jealous! That's not going to end well. If anyone wants to guess about Professor Krasimir, her name is Bulgarian. That's all I'm going to say about her. *wink wink***

**Anyway, you guys are all awesome! Sixty-four reviews and still going strong! Happy dance! \('-'\) \('-')/ (/'-')/ \('-')/**

**To guest reviewer dorysaur: I'm so honored that you felt my story is good enough to be compared to Nutella! I love that stuff! Yeah, poor Sirius... and maaaybe there's a little bit of a love triangle, but nothing too... Sirius. (lol u c wut i did ****that?)**

**Keep up the feedback! I write for you lovely reviewers now!**

**Until next time,**

**-Dndchk**


	8. The Forest Hides Many Secrets

**A/N: ... Hi. *hides from angry mob***

**I'm extremely sorry about not updating in... *checks postings* a month *wince*... You all have probably guessed that I got grounded again, and you're right. I'm only allowed to post again because it's fall break and I don't have school to worry about. *sigh* It has _not_ been fun.**

**Terribly sorry about not replying to many reviews- 81? You're all amazing! Have some Butterbeer and Chocolate Frogs! But yeah, like I said, grounded. I WILL reply to all reviews this time, though, as I haz one more free week before I have to go back to Azkaban- I mean school. Thank you all so much for not giving up on me! To make up for it, I've made this a LONG chapter, with ALL the Marauders' points of view, and a little plot development at the end... :3**

**Disclaimer: "Yeah, Dndchk is not J.K. Rowling. Otherwise, she would have made her first two fanfics much better than they already are."**

**"SIRIUS, I'M GONNA KILL YOU EVEN MORE PAINFULLY IF YOU DON'T STOP THAT!" *glances around nervously* "You saw nothing..."**

* * *

The morning came too early. Liz would have been able to sleep later, but her dorm mates' chatter was impossible to muffle with a pillow. Reluctantly, she forced her eyes open and stuck her head out of the hangings.

Lily and Sarah were bet over a piece of parchment, whispering excitedly and giggling. Victoria was busy braiding her hair and talking loudly, unaware that her audience wasn't listening. Liz groaned and rubbed her eyes.

"Oh, good morning," Lily said, looking up.

"'Morning," Liz yawned hugely. "What time is it?"

"Seven. I was going to get you up in a few minutes."

Liz blinked. "Oh. Er, thanks, I guess." She crawled to the foot of her bed and opened her trunk to get some socks. There was no way she was touching the cold stone floor with her bare feet. Once she'd pulled her socks on, she began rummaging for some clothes.

September first had fallen on a Saturday this year, so Liz was looking forward to having the first day back to spend as she pleased. However, she was forced to wear one of her school robes, as she and her parents had been unable to find any clothes that fit her lanky form. Her mum had promised to send some as soon as possible, but Liz wasn't happy that she would have to wait to wear her muggle jeans. It could have been worse though; at least her shoes fit.

"I'm so excited to start Muggle Studies this year," Lily said, looking at Liz. "What classes are you taking?"

"Oh, you know, Potions, Charms, Transfiguration-"

"I meant _new_ classes," Lily said, rolling her eyes.

"Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. But, Lily, why are you taking Muggle Studies?"

Lily's eyes shone, and Liz regretted asking. "Just think about it- seeing what wizards think of muggle methods of getting things accomplished would be so fascinating! And, to be honest... it would be nice to have an easy class, you know?" She smiled sheepishly.

"I'm taking Arithmancy," Sarah said. Liz wrinkled her nose.

"Well, if that's what interests you..."

"Oh, yes! Just think of all the practical applications!" Sarah's eyes glazed over as she stared dreamily at the wall, lost in thought.

"Er, sure. I'm going to breakfast, but I'll see you later." Liz waved and ducked through the door before she could get sucked into a discussion about Arithmancy.

She bounded down the stairs three at a time, and was unable to stop when she rounded the corner and slammed into James.

"Ow!" yelled James, pushing her off his stomach. "Liz!"

"Sorry," she said, offering a hand. James ignored it and pushed himself up.

"Don't you ever watch where you're going?" he demanded.

"I doubt it," Remus said dryly. Liz made a face at him.

"We were wondering when you were going to get up," Peter said, giving her a stern look. Liz held up her hands.

"Hey, give me a break! I got used to sleeping in over the summer," she said defensively.

"Well, you'd better get used to waking up early, 'cause we we won't wait for you next time you oversleep," James said. He kept talking before Liz could get a word in. "But no matter. We have a whole day to ourselves, and I intend to spend it exploring!"

"Breakfast first," Peter reminded him.

"Breakfast first," James agreed.

* * *

It was something to be proud of, that they were able to get down to the Great Hall without having to backtrack. But then, James thought, they _were_ starting the third year. It was about time they were able to get things right the first day.

A few minutes after they sat down at the Gryffindor table, Lily, Sarah, and Victoria entered, their heads close together. James sat up straighter and brushed toast crumbs from his shirt.

The girls suddenly giggled, Sarah pushing Lily gently in the direction of the Ravenclaw table. Lily dug her heels in and pushed her back, but when Sarah and Victoria sat in their usual places, Lily went to sit with the Ravenclaws. James frowned and kicked Remus lightly under the table. "What's Evans doing sitting over there?"

Remus turned to look. Lily had sat next to a boy with flat, personality-devoid (in James' opinion) hair and was talking to him animatedly. James scowled when the boy turned his head slightly, allowing them to see his face. It was Ryan Bennet, one of the kids who had been badmouthing werewolves in Defense class last year.

"What's she doing talking to _Bennet_?" James demanded of nobody in particular. He glowered as he took a sip of pumpkin juice- and almost immediately spat it back out.

_Lily was holding Bennet's hand._

"Oh, no, she did not-" James began to stand, but Liz reached across the table and pushed him back down.

"If you go over there to chew them out, you're going to look like a right prat," she said. "Just leave them alone, James."

James scowled, but stayed in his seat. "Fine, but you're going to help me get Bennet," he said churlishly. "Forget what I said about exploring today. I'm going to the library- are you coming?"

"I will!" Peter volunteered. Liz and Remus exchanged glances.

"I dunno, James... I mean, just because you like Evans doesn't give you the exclusive right to her," Remus said, choosing his words carefully.

James threw his hands in the air. "Fine! I don't need your help, anyway! Come on, Wormy. Let's go."

"Huh? Oh, right!" Peter, unused to his nickname, stuffed a last piece of bacon in his mouth and hurried to follow James.

James led the way to the library and immediately headed for the Hexes and Jinxes section. "We're not leaving until I find a suitable punishment," he declared.

"Er, James," began Peter, "How can you be sure that Lily and Ryan are together? Just because she held his hand-"

"Pete, if you're not going to help, then get out." James pointed to the door. Peter, to his credit, just looked at him. At least he knew his place. "Right then," James said, rubbing his hands together, "Let's get started."

* * *

Sirius had decided to wait until the others were long gone before he, too, left the dorms. Even though it was early on a weekend and not many people were likely to see them together, it wasn't a risk he wanted to take.

Ten minutes after his friends left, he decided he didn't have the patience to wait any longer, so he made his way down to the Great Hall. Several students were already there, and though Liz and Remus were at their usual places, James and Peter were nowhere to be found. As he walked past, Sirius shot Remus a questioning look.

_Library,_ Remus mouthed. Sirius frowned. What on earth had possessed James to go to the library?

He shrugged and sat a fair distance from his friends and began serving himself. He was famished.

Halfway through his food, Remus and Liz finished eating and left. Sirius watched them go, wishing he could follow them, talk to them outside the dorm. His mood darkened even further when Regulus entered- and he was talking to Snape.

Sirius put his fork down and pushed his plate away, no longer hungry. This was totally unacceptable. Snivellus, corrupting his brother? Something would have to be done. His feet carried him over to the Slytherin table before he made the conscious decision to even go there.

"Hey, Regulus," he said, stopping a few feet away. "I didn't know you spoke Troll."

Snape sneered at him. "Do you not have anything better to do with your time, Black?" Regulus looked from Sirius to Snape and back.

"Do you guys know each other?" he asked. Sirius let out a bark of laughter.

"Know him? Who doesn't know Snivellus? His greasy head is kind of difficult to miss." Sirius grinned when Snape's face darkened. "I'm kind of surprised he hasn't already stolen all your shampoo."

"Sirius-" Regulus began, but Snape interrupted him.

"_I'm_ surprised you two are even related," he said. "It's rather hard to believe that a nice kid like Reg could have a brother like _you_."

Sirius' eyes flashed. Only he was allowed to call his brother Reg. "You want to say that again?"

"Guys!" Regulus pushed himself between them. "I get that you don't like each other very much, but can't you let it alone?"

"No," Sirius and Snape said at the same time. They glared at each other.

Regulus' face fell. "Sirius, Sev has been really nice to me, and Sev, Sirius is my brother. Couldn't you at least ignore each other?"

"Only if Sevvie promises to stop trying to indoctrinate you into the Death Eaters," Sirius said cooly.

"Big words," Snape commented. "Did you actually display a modicum of genuine intellect for a change, or was that just accidental?"

"Please, just stop it," Regulus snapped. Sirius bit back his witty retort and looked at him. Regulus' clear grey eyes were pleading. Sirius swallowed. Sure, his brother might occasionally display some pure-blood bigotry, but the kid was only eleven. Still young enough to believe that a few words were enough to make people get along. How Snape had managed to earn Regulus' approval, Sirius had no idea.

"You're lucky Regulus was here," Sirius hissed. "But next time, Snivelly..." he smirked when Snape blanched.

"Just... go," Regulus said, turning away.

Sirius left the Great Hall, somehow feeling even more depressed than before.

He wandered outside to the grounds, hoping some fresh air would clear his head. He passed Liz and Remus, who were sitting (a little too close together, Sirius thought) under the beach tree near the lake. Liz gave a tiny wave, but didn't pay him much attention. Sirius sighed and headed past the greenhouses, pausing to throw a few stones at the dormant Whomping Willow.

He'd never thought it was possible to feel so alone.

He looked out to the Forbidden Forest, wondering how deep it went. A slow grin spread across his face. He could find out easily enough. But it wouldn't do to go in and end up wandering around in circles.

Sirius skirted around the still-thrashing Willow and hurried to the wall that surrounded the grounds. The grey-tan stone was as strong as it had been when it was first placed, though it was now covered in moss. The walls, Sirius knew, were more for effect than anything else. They were rather intimidating, being nearly two feet thick and over thirty feet tall, but the real protection of Hogwarts were the wards surrounding the castle. Still, the walls were pretty awesome. And they would be his guide to the Forest.

His first few steps into the trees were hesitant. After all, it wasn't called the _Forbidden_ Forest for nothing. Hadn't some of the older students said there were werewolves in there?

Sirius snorted. Unless Remus had a summer home in there that he hadn't told them about, there weren't going to be any werewolves in the Forest. besides, it was early morning. There probably wasn't anything in there that was more interesting than a bowtruckle.

Keeping the wall immediately to his right, Sirius ventured a little deeper among the trees. On the outskirts, the trees were slender, young. Farther in, though, the trunks towered overhead, venerable giants that must have been hundreds of years old. Despite the bright, brisk morning, the Forest was shrouded with a gloom that was the product of a dense canopy, and the branches, leaves, and other detritus added to the somber atmosphere. Sirius could hear animals skittering through the underbrush, and he started when a squirrel leapt across a gap between trees. Somewhere in the distance, a raven called. The harsh screech made the hairs on the back of Sirius' neck prickle.

After about ten minutes, in which nothing interesting happened, Sirius began to get a little bored. The most he'd seen was a bunch of dull trees. Maybe he needed to get away from the wall. As long as he went in a relatively straight line, he should be fine.

Sirius turned left and began going deeper into the Forest, leaving the safety of the wall behind.

* * *

"Ugh, do they really have nothing good in here?" James asked, slamming another book on their discard pile. Peter shushed him as Madam Pince glared at them.

"Let's keep looking, James. We're bound to find something good, right?" Peter didn't really believe his own words, but he felt a little better when James seemed to perk up a bit.

"Hand me that book there, would you?" James asked, indicating a leather-bound tome near Peter's elbow. Peter pushed it across the table and focused back on his own book.

"What about the Tongue-Tying Curse?" he suggested.

James made a face. "Best use of that would be if Bennet tries to kiss her," he said.

"Oh... okay." Peter sighed and kept looking. He was slightly irritated that James kept shooting his ideas down, but James was the leader of the Marauders for a reason, right? Maybe Peter wasn't the cleverest, but hadn't he proven his worth before?

...He had, hadn't he?

Dejected, Peter turned yet another page. He stopped. A slow smile began to form. "James?"

"What now?" James said impatiently.

Ignoring the harsh tone, Peter turned the book around and pointed to the spell he'd found. A wicked grin that surpassed Peter's spread across James' face. He clapped Peter on the back, then took the book to study it more closely.

"Excellent, Peter! We're going to use this as soon as we can."

Peter grinned, but his smile faded when James lost interest in him again. James was fumbling at his belt, and Peter realized that he was looking for the two-way mirror. Apparently, Sirius was trying to contact him.

"James?" Sirius' face appeared in the glass. "And Peter? Get Liz and Remus and go to the Forest, now."

* * *

Not having to worry about school on the first day back was nice, Remus thought. It gave them time to unwind from the long trip the day before.

After James had dragged Peter off to the library, Remus and Liz finished their breakfast, chatting idly about various things. Eventually, the topic turned to the new teacher.

"So, I noticed you and the other guys seemed pretty... welcoming towards Professor Krasimir last night," Liz began.

Remus uneasily tapped his fork on his plate. Now that he though about it, he wasn't entirely sure why he'd been so enthusiastic last night. Sure, Professor Krasimir _was_ rather pretty, but he couldn't remember what it was about her that made him speechless.

He realized Liz was watching him expectantly. "I dunno why. I mean, she is kind of pretty..." Liz scowled and looked down at the table. Remus frowned, trying to think what he'd said.

"Er, would you like to go outside?" he asked, hoping the fresh air would cheer her up. Liz shrugged and grudgingly allowed him to lead her from the Great Hall and out to the beech tree by the lake.

Liz leaned back against the trunk and closed her eyes. For a moment, Remus thought she was trying to go back to sleep, but she was frowning in concentration, her lips moving soundlessly. Deciding it would be best if he left her alone, Remus retrieved a book from his bag and settled in to read. However, he soon found that it was extremely difficult to concentrate once Liz pulled out her wand, practicing the movement for what he recognized as the movement for the Patronus Charm.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" Liz hissed, brandishing her wand like a sword.

"Still can't get it?" Remus asked gently.

"What do you think?" she said crossly, laying her head on her knees. "I'm beginning to think I'll never get it."

Remus frowned. That didn't sound like Liz at all. "Maybe you need to work on your wand movement," he suggested. "You're trying too hard."

"So, like this?" Liz asked sarcastically, giving an over-the-top flourish. "Sorry, but I just don't know what you mean."

"Here." Remus reached around her and held her wand hand in his own. "You just need to be a bit gentler," he said, moving her arm in demonstration.

Liz nodded thoughtfully. "Thanks." She turned to look at him, and Remus froze, suddenly realizing just how close their faces were, that his arm was around her shoulders. It was both a relief and a disappointment when Liz shrugged him off to try again. Remus noticed her cheeks were a bit pink, and he wondered if- no. She was probably just a little overexerted from trying the spell.

She closed her eyes for a long time. "_Expecto Patronum._"

And there it was, the Patronus she'd been working so hard to produce. It was some kind of cat, not nearly as large as a lion, but definitely bigger than a domestic cat. Remus could make out a heavy jaw and a short, thick tail before Liz let the spell fade.

"I- I did it," she said, stunned. "i actually did it..." She threw her arms around his neck. "I DID IT!" she screamed into his ear. Remus winced and pushed her away; she didn't even notice. "I did it! I did it!" She jumped up, laughing hysterically, twirling on the grass and letting her robe twist around her.

"Sit down," Remus implored, patting the ground next to him. "I'm really happy for you, but someone's going to wonder what all the fuss is about."

Still grinning so widely that it seemed her face would split, Liz plopped down next to him, somehow managing to look excited and smug at the same time. Her grin faded a little when she said, "Could you tell what kind of cat it was? It was too small to be anything I can think of, but it definitely wasn't a house cat."

"It looked more like some kind of wildcat to me," Remus said, trying to think. "Maybe a lynx?"

"No, lynxes have shorter tails than that... don't they?" Liz shrugged. "Ah, we'll figure it out sometime. But this means we can finally get started on the transformations! Isn't that great?" She looked up and gave a tiny wave; Remus looked up as well and saw Sirius heading across the grounds, his hands shoved into his pockets and his feet dragging. Remus raised a hand, but Sirius had already turned his back to them.

Liz sighed and rested her head on Remus' shoulder. "This sucks so much."

"Yeah," Remus agreed absently. He was a little distracted by the fact that she was _right there_ with her face so close to his-

Liz suddenly sat up and edged away. It was barely a centimeter, but Remus instantly felt bad. He was probably making her uncomfortable.

"You know what this means, though?" Liz said happily, plucking at a dandelion near her ankle. "When we get started on the transformations, it'll be easy!"

"And you're still sure you want to go through with it?" Remus asked. "I mean, there's a reason not many people attempt to become Animagi; this is the part where so much stuff goes wrong-"

Liz cut him off with a look. "Remus, come on, James and Sirius are the best in Transfiguration, and after that stupid Patronus Charm, anything will be easy! You worry too much, you know."

"Sirius may have said something once or twice," Remus said dryly.

"Just once or twice?" Liz teased, punching him lightly in the arm.

There was a shout from the front doors, and Remus and Liz looked up to see James and Peter sprinting across the grounds. James skidded to a halt in front of them, barely out of breath, but Peter had slowed to a plodding walk by the time he caught up.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked, noticing the wild look in James' eyes.

"Sirius- Forest- come on-" James grabbed Remus and yanked him to his feet, seized Peter's arm, and took off, yelling at Liz to keep up.

"James, _what is going on?_" Remus demanded when they stopped just outside the Forbidden Forest. "Is Sirius hurt?"

"Are you daft? Of course I'm not hurt!" Sirius' indignant voice said. Remus looked around.

"Where-?"

"James, you ninny, get me off your belt and let me explain properly," Sirius ordered. James rolled his eyes and pulled the two-way mirror from his belt. He held it up to show them Sirius' grinning face. Cobwebs and twigs were tangled in his hair.

"Don't tell me you're in the Forbidden Forest," Liz groaned.

Sirius nodded smugly. "Yeah, I'm in the Forest. And you guys will never guess what I found!"

"A tree?" Liz muttered.

"I dunno," Peter said. "All you said was to get Liz and Remus and come here."

"I'm not telling you until you come in," Sirius sang.

Remus and James glanced at each other. Remus wasn't too keen on the idea, but James looked eager for another adventure. "We're in," James said, stepping into the trees. "Just tell us where to go."

"Okay, follow the wall for about ten minutes, then turn left when I tell you to," Sirius said. "Trust me, this is the best thing ever! You won't regret it."

"Why do I get the feeling we will?" Liz said cheerfully, lighting her wand and following James into the gloom. She glanced over her shoulder at Remus and Peter. "Come on, guys!"

"I don't want to," Peter whispered. Remus gave his shoulder a small squeeze.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," he said. he was surprised to find that, for the most part, he meant it. The Forbidden Forest couldn't have been called that for nothing, but between the three of them- and Peter- they would hopefully be able to deal with anything that crossed their path. After all, Sirius had made the trek alone and seemed unharmed.

Peter didn't look convinced, but he grabbed the back of Remus' shirt for comfort and followed him.

"So, you'll never guess what I did a few minutes ago," Liz said as they walked.

"You opened a portal to another dimension and became the ruler of a race of three-headed dodos with digestive issues and a taste for classical music?" Sirius asked. They all stared at the mirror in James' hand. "What?"

"Ah... no. But close," Liz said after a moment. "_Anyway_, Remus was helping me with the Patronus Charm, and..." She paused, clearly relishing in drawing it out. "I got it."

Sirius and James whooped, and Peter broke away from the safety of Remus' shirt to offer a high-five. He then latched onto Liz's arm, reluctant to be out of physical contact with someone.

"So, what is it?" James asked. "A puppy?"

"No, no, I got it," Sirius said, "A _poodle_!"

"A labradoodle?"

"A chihuahua!"

"Wait, not a dog- a walrus!"

"A platypus?"

"Seahorse?"

"Guys!" Liz yelled impatiently. "It's a cat."

Sirius looked rather put-out. "You're sure it wasn't a dog?"

"Or a wolf?" James asked slyly. Remus was not amused, and he let James know by swatting him upside the head. "Hey!"

"You're a- a cat?" Peter squeaked, jumping away from Liz and grabbing hold of Remus once more. "But you'll eat me!"

"I'm sure you'll taste delicious," Liz said, pretending to bite at him. Peter yelped and hid behind Remus. "But yeah, a cat. The only thing is, I've never seen something like it before."

"Could you try it again when we're all together?" James asked. Liz bit her lip and shrugged.

"I guess..."

"Hey, hold the mirror up, I can't see," Sirius complained.

"My arm's getting sore- your reflection is too fat."

"How can my reflection be fat?"

"heavy, whatever. Your reflection is too heavy."

Remus cut in before the squabble could evolve into a shouting match. "James, I could hold the mirror for a while," he offered.

"You'd better thank Moony for hauling your ungrateful arse around," James said as he handed the mirror to Remus.

"Thank you, Moony," Sirius said sarcastically. "Now hold me up."

"You know, I could always put you in my pocket," Remus warned, holding the mirror up so Sirius could survey their surroundings.

"There are so many 'getting in your pants' jokes I could make right now," James sniggered.

"Yes, yes, you're hilarious," Sirius said flatly. "Okay, you guys need to turn now. Just keep going straight. I'm only a few minutes away."

"Thanks for the help," James said brightly. He snatched the mirror away from Remus and shoved it in his pocket to muffle Sirius' indignant voice.

They kept going, the trees getting even larger as they headed deeper into the Forest. The branches grew thick overhead, allowing only a little light to weakly filter to the ground. Only a few steps away from the wall, they were all forced to light their wands in order to see.

"This is really creepy," Liz muttered, edging closer to Remus. "I keep getting the feeling like..."

Remus felt the back of his neck tingle. "Like we're being watched," he said softly. Liz's fingers crept into his hand. Normally, he would have pulled away, embarrassed, but he was grateful for the contact. The Forest was making him uneasy.

They all sighed with relief when James spotted a glow coming from between the trees. They hurried forward, unimpeded by undergrowth- there wasn't enough light to allow much besides fungi to grow- as the ground sloped upward. Remus frowned. This was the first hill they'd encountered in the Forest.

Sirius was waiting for them at the top, his wand lit, grinning cheerfully and lounging on the grass. However, the tight grip he kept belied his calm appearance. "About time you guys got here," he said. "What took you so long?"

"You're hilarious," James said sourly, not sitting next to Sirius. He kept his wand out, peering into the darkness. "Merlin, this place is creepy. What the hell were you thinking, Sirius?"

"Honestly, mostly how much I wanted to find something interesting," Sirius said apologetically. "Trust me, after I asked you to get out here, I started to imagine I was seeing stuff in the shadows..."

They all shuddered.

"So what was so bloody important that we had to come to Creepy Capitol?" Liz asked sourly, still scanning the area for possible threats. Her grip on Remus' hand tightened.

"Come here." Sirius stood up and clambered down the far side of the hill- but it wasn't a gentle slope like the side they'd gone up. It was a rocky face- no, Remus realized, once they were all standing in front of Sirius' discovery- a wall. A stone wall, covered by moss, was set into the hill, and the rotted remnants of a wooden door hung off of rusty hinges, revealing a dark, gaping hole.

"Wow..." James said, holding his wand up as he tried to see inside. It was fairly obvious that he didn't want to be the first one in, though, as he kept the rest of his body away from the opening.

Sirius grinned, but he looked anxious. "I went in a little bit- scared the living daylights out of some bats- but I think it's a tunnel. There weren't any other rooms or doors, and it just kept going."

"Another tunnel?" Liz said, biting her lip. "Where d'you think it goes?"

Sirius grinned at her. "Only one way to find out, isn't there?" he said.

He ducked through the doorway and was swallowed up by the darkness.

* * *

**A/N: Dun dun DUNNNN!**

**Okay, I'm gonna keep this short, as I delayed eating dinner for two and a half hours in order to type this. I'm starving and cranky and have no intention of sticking around any longer than I have to. You're welcome.**

**But seriously, I love you guys. Keep those reviews coming! I'm already working on chapter nine, and it'll hopefully be up before I go back to school. But... if not... I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be allowed to update until Christmas- sorry, WINTER- break. *eyeroll* Just so you guys know. I'm really sorry about the delays.**

**Until next time,**

**-Dndchk**


	9. Swines and Felines

**A/N: Hey guys! So maybe I didn't update during the second half of fall break. This chapter was being dumb, and I ended up rewriting almost the entire second half of it, but meh. At least chapter ten should be interesting. Also, I was maybe just the teeniest bit busy playing Pokemon X and it is AMAZING, and reading House of Hades and it was FANTABULOUS. Yes, that's a real word. Don't question me.**

**Anyway, to anonymous guest reviewer: Thanks so much for the kind review! I'm really glad you love it so far! :3**

**And to the rest of my awesome followers- 90 REVIEWS FOR EIGHT CHAPTERS OMG WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO I DON'T DESERVE SUCH WONDERFUL READERS WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE YOU WHERE ARE MY WOMBATS. But seriously, you are all great. Thank you so much :'D Hugs from the Marauder of your choice!**

**Oh, and I've started a fanfic recording my Pokemon Soul Silver Nuzlocke run. If you're interested, go check it out on my profile. I only have the one chapter posted for now, but I've already written (longhand, sorry) up to chapter five, so that should be updating between breaks with Ebony. **

**But enough of my self-promotion. Here's chapter nine- enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Unless you people have been hiding under a rock, I'm pretty sure you know I don't own Harry Potter.**

* * *

The damp, musty smell of the underground permeated the air. James didn't like it at all; the earthy tunnel made him extremely uneasy. The way that the soft floor completely muffled their footsteps, the stillness of the air, the sensation of being buried alive...

James shook his head and focused on making his wandlight brighter. None of the others, save for Peter, seemed too worried. Liz occasionally glanced uneasily over her shoulder, but Sirius kept having to slow down so he wouldn't leave them behind, and Remus just looked exasperated with their antics. Besides, it could have been worse. He could have been as tall as Sirius or Liz, who both had to walk hunched over. Maybe not having had his growth spurt yet wasn't so bad after all.

For a while, the five of them speculated on where they were going; the general agreement was somewhere in Hogsmeade, but then the tunnel began to curve away from the village, leading north toward the mountains.

"You know, I'm not sure how old this tunnel is, but it's in pretty good shape," Sirius commented as he pushed aside a clump of roots that had broken through the wall.

"It is," James agreed absently, his mind distracted by trying to calculate the structural integrity of said tunnel. Needless to say, he had no idea how accurate his estimations were, but it didn't stop his imagination from going into overdrive. He really needed to stop focusing on how the tunnel could probably collapse at any moment and bury them all alive.

"Er, hey, Liz," he said, "Didn't you mention finally casting a corporeal Patronus? Could you try again?"

It was a bit difficult to tell in the flickering wandlight, but he was fairly certain she grimaced. "I guess, but... no guarantees." They all fell silent, not wanting to disrupt her concentration.

It took several tries, but Liz finally managed to produce her Patronus, a large silvery cat with thick fur. James recognized the heavy jaw and blunt tail immediately.

"Oh, I know what that is," he said, pleasantly surprised to find he knew something Remus didn't. "That's a Scottish wildcat- we see them in the woods around the manor sometimes. They really scare the horses, even though they'd have to be desperate to go after something that big."

"Scottish wildcat, huh?" Liz said, studying her patrons. She nodded to herself. "All right then."

The Patronus flickered and faded, leaving them in the suddenly much darker tunnel.

"We should start on the transformations as soon as we get back to the castle," Sirius said, grinning hugely. The wandlight glinted off his teeth and cast weird shadows over his features, and James briefly entertained the notion that it made Sirius look more like the dog he would become. Almost unconsciously, he raised a hand to his head, wondering what it would feel like to have antlers.

Probably very heavy, he decided.

"Hey, is that light up ahead?" Peter asked suddenly. James squinted, and didn't bother trying to hide his relief when he saw Peter was right. He didn't think he could take any more of the low ceiling brushing the top of his head.

They emerged from the side of a small hillock, blinking owlishly in the misty light. As his eyes adjusted, James realized they were standing on the windswept, heather-choked moor that ran along the foothills of the mountains. Hogwarts stood perched on a cliff overlooking the lake, small enough at this distance that James could cover it with his hand.

"What do you think this tunnel was originally built for?" Peter asked. "maybe a secret escape that didn't involve somebody's home in Hogsmeade?"

James rolled his eyes. "Wormy, please. Why would there be a need for a secret escape?"

He was expecting that to stymie Peter, so he was rather surprised when Peter shrugged and said, "Well, Hogwarts was built when witches and wizards were heavily persecuted, right? I'm guessing the Founders wanted a safe way out in case muggles somehow happened to get past the wards."

James blinked. "That's... actually a fair point."

Peter beamed.

Sirius, however, frowned. "How are we going to show this on the map?" he said to nobody in particular.

"I guess we'll just have to draw the tunnel leading out to the edge of the parchment and leave it at that," Remus said, "since if we showed where the tunnel comes out in relation to the school, the whole parchment could be wiped blank."

"Say _what?_" Liz asked.

"Hogwarts is Unplottable, remember?"

"Oh, right."

"So, what do you say we head back to the castle?" James suggested, checking his watch. "It looks like it's about lunchtime."

"Food?" Sirius and Peter said together.

"Lunch!" Liz cheered as she ducked back inside the tunnel. Knowing that it was safe (ish), James was able to make the journey with a lot less trepidation than before.

Sirius left the Forest under James' Invisibility Cloak (after all but swearing an Unbreakable Vow to see it returned safely to the dorm) while the rest of the Marauders slipped out from among the trees, trying to appear casual. As it was lunchtime, there weren't too many people around to see them, and those who were nearby were occupied by other things.

They quickly scarfed their food, sneaking several sandwiches into Liz's bag to bring to Sirius, and left, hoping to get started on the Animagus transformations as soon as possible. Remus opted to go to the library, and though he claimed he wanted to get a head start on reading his textbooks, James knew that, despite having long since ceased his protests on the Animagi scheme, Remus still didn't approve of their deciding to break the law and endanger themselves to boot.

Later, James reflected that if Remus hadn't left them, the events that happened next would probably have been avoided. Maybe Remus' reservations about the Animagi project wasn't such a bad thing.

Lily's new _boyfriend-_ he shuddered to even think about that- Ryan happened to be passing by, unaccompanied, and James realized that his timing couldn't have been better. Trying to be subtle about it, James drew his wand.

"_Rustrosus!_" he shouted. A jet of bright blue light shot forward, hitting Ryan squarely between the eyes. Ryan howled in pain and bent over, clutching at his face.

"What the hell, James?" Liz yelled, rushing forward to see if Ryan was okay. She tried to pry his hands away from his face, but he ducked his head, refusing to show off James' handiwork.

James was unfazed by Liz's indignant attitude. "You think it worked, Wormy?"

"I don't see why it wouldn't," Peter replied, edging closer to try and see how the spell had worked.

Liz finally managed to get Ryan's hands off his face, and though she managed to stifle it, James could tell she almost laughed. Who wouldn't? Where Ryan's straight, freckled nose had been moments before, he now sported a pink, hairy pig snout that was dripping with snot. James and Peter, of course, had no such reservations about hiding their laughter.

"Ryan, are you okay?" Liz asked tentatively.

"What do you think?" he snapped. "Bloody Potter decided to go and OINK!" Ryan clapped his hands over his mouth, horrified at the sound that had just issued from it. At that point, James nearly fell over, he was laughing so hard.

"You should get up to the Hospital Wing," Liz said, helping Ryan up. "Unless James wants to reverse it?" She shot James a nasty look, but he barely noticed. He was too busy laughing. "I didn't think so." She lowered her voice, but James had a pretty good idea what she was saying.

"Look, Bennet," he drawled, "I don't think you know just yet, but I'm not too happy that you're dating Evans. So back off, unless you want me to hex you in front of the entire school. And don't even think about telling the teachers either. I'll know who squealed like the pig they are."_  
_

"_James_-" Liz tried.

"Got it?" James said over her.

Ryan looked mutinous, but the death glare he was giving James was kind of ruined by that ridiculous snout. James casually held up his wand as though to examine it. After a moment, Ryan told him to go do something very rude before turning and hurrying away, pulling his robe over his face to hide his snout.

"Well, can you just say rude?" James began, only to find Liz right in his face.

"What. The. Hell. What the _hell_ was that for?" she demanded, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Jeez, Eb, are you sure it's not that time of the month already?" James said lightly.

"Which one?" Liz asked irritably. James blanched, but didn't back down.

"Come on, you're overreacting! You know I like Lily, and it's not fair that Bennet can date her and I can't!"

Liz ground her teeth. "Don't you think you could have done something a little less humiliating, at least? You don't _own_ Lily, so quit- acting- like- you- do!" She prodded him in the chest with each word.

James realized she wasn't going to back off until he said something remorseful, so he tried to wipe the smile off his face and looked down. "Fine," he said. "Next time, I won't turn his nose into a pig snout." _No promises about turning him into a pig with a human nose, though, _he added silently.

Liz gave him a suspicious look, but thankfully, she backed down. James couldn't resist adding, "It might not have been very nice, but you have to admit, it was pretty funny." He grinned when Liz snorted loudly.

"Okay, yes, it looked hilarious, but from the way he was yelling, it sounded like it hurt," she said, but her smile lingered.

"I didn't mean for it to hurt," James said, completely honest this time. "But what's done is done. Come on- let's get up to the dormitory! We have some work to do!"

* * *

**A/N: Oh, James, you're such an a-hole. It's so charming. *sarcasm sign***

**Thus began James Potter's reign of terror over Hogwarts. And there was much rejoicing.**

**Anyway, I might be in Latin class now, but my vocabulary is ridiculously limited and I don't have access to a Latin-English dictionary, so I went with every language student's not-so-helpful best friend Google Translate! Rustrosus is basically what it gave me for pig snout; I just played with the order and sounds a bit, and considering how much GT mangles translation anyway, I figure it's close enough to JKR's spells to at least pass in Fanfictionland.**

**Believe it or not, though, the tunnel that I introduced is actually going to play an important role in one of my later fics. I'm not saying which one, though! *trollface* You must love me a lot to put up with me.**

**I've already started work on chapter ten, but I'm probably not going to have it out really soon. I'll try to at least have it out sometime around Halloween. But, if not, rest in peace, Lily and James. Your sacrifices won't be forgotten. u.u**

**And on that cheery note, I think I'll sign off there.**

**Until next time,**

**-Dndchk**


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